The global cryosphere: past, present and future

"Recent studies indicate that - due to climate change - the Earth is undergoing rapid changes in all cryospheric components, including polar sea ice shrinkage, mountain glacier recession, thawing permafrost, and diminishing snow cover. This book provides a comprehensive summary of all components of the Earth's cryosphere, reviewing their history, physical and chemical characteristics, geographical distributions, and projected futures states. This new edition has been completely updated throughout, and provides state-of-the-art data from GlobSnow-2 CRYOSAT, ICESAT, and GRACE. It includes a comprehensive summary of cryospheric changes in land ice, permafrost, freshwater ice, sea ice, and ice sheets. It discusses the models developed to understand cryosphere processes and predict future changes, including those based on remote sensing, field campaigns, and long-term ground observations. Boasting an extensive bibliography, over 120 figures, and end-of-chapter review questions, it is an ideal resource for students and researchers of the cryosphere"--

Introduction -- Definition and extent -- The role of the cryosphere in the climate system -- The organization of snow and ice observations and research -- Remote sensing of the cryosphere -- The terrestrial cryosphere -- Snowfall and snow cover -- History -- Snow formation -- Snow cover -- Snow cover modeling in land surface schemes of GCMs -- Snow interception by the canopy -- Sublimation of snow -- Snow metamorphism -- In situ measurements of snow -- Remote sensing of snowpack properties, snow cover area (SCA), and snow water equivalent (SWE) -- Snowmelt modelling -- Recent observed changes in snowpack and snow cover -- Avalanches -- History -- Avalanche characteristics -- Avalanche models -- Trends in avalanche conditions -- Glaciers and ice caps -- History -- Definitions -- Glacier characteristics -- Mass balance -- Remote sensing -- Glacier flow and flowlines -- Scaling -- Glacier modeling -- Ice caps -- Glacier hydrology -- Changes in glaciers and ice caps -- Ice sheets -- History of exploration -- Mass balance -- Remote sensing -- Mechanisms of ice sheet changes -- The Greenland ice sheet -- Antarctica -- Overall ice sheet changes -- Ice sheet models -- Ice sheet and ice sh…