Synopses & Reviews
Featuring an accessible, non-mathematical, but rigorous conceptual treatment--with numerous very simple explanatory illustrations--this introduction to the basic principles of glaciology, geomorphology, and geology serves as a portal to the more advanced literature in the field and to discussion and research of the local situation. Focusing on processes and history (not just descriptions), it helps readers understand how glaciers form and move, what effect they have, when and where they have affected the Earth, and the consequences of ice ages. Covers a full range of topics from glaciology, geomorphology, and glacial geology: Ice Properties. Glaciers. Glacial Erosion. Glacial Transportation And Deposition. Glacial Landforms Formed By Glacial Sediments. Fluvial Sediments And Landforms. Glaciomarine And Glaciolacustrine Environments And Deposits. Aeolian Sediments And Landforms. Cold-Climate And Frozen-Ground Processes And Features. Quaternary Stratigraphy. Glacial Legacy (Isostasy, Eustasy, Volcanism, And Biota). The Cenozoic Ice Age. Pre-Quaternary Glaciations. Causes Of Glaciation. For anyone interested in Glacial Geology and Geomorphology.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.
Glaciology, Geomorphology, and Geology. Guiding Concepts: Gravity and Heat.
I. GLACIOLOGY. 2. Ice Properties.
Water. Ice Minerals. Ice as a Sediment and Rock. Metamorphism of Snow. Snow Hazards and Resources. 3. Glaciers.
Localization of Glaciers. Classification of Glaciers. Mass Budget of Glaciers. Movement of Glaciers. Glacier Hazards and Resources.
II. GLACIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY. 4. Glacial Erosion.
Power of a Glacier. Erosion Processes. Erosional Features. Erosional Glacial Landscapes. 5. Glacial Transportation and Deposition.
Glacial Transportation. Glacial Deposition. Dispersal Fans. 6. Glacial Landforms Formed by Glacial Sediments.
Drumlins. Moraines. Stagnant-Ice Till Features. 7. Fluvial Sediments and Landforms.
Dynamics of Water Flow and Sediment Transport: Basic Principles. Sediment Structures and Facies. Meltwater Stream Characteristics and Deposits. 8. Glaciomarine and Glaciolacustrine Environments and Deposits.
Introduction. Oceanographic Processes: Basic Principles. Glacial Sediment Transport, Release, and Deposition. Glaciomarine and Glaciolascustrine Depositional Systems.
PERIGLACIAL ENVIRONMENTS. 9. Eolian Sediments and Landforms.
Wind Abrasion. Sand Dunes. Loess. 10. Cold-Climate and Frozen-Ground Processes and Features.
Cold-Climate Weathering. Permafrost. Ground-Ice Processes and Features. Surface Ice: Icings. Slope Mass Movement: Processes and Features. Distribution of Mid-Latitude Pleistocene Permafrost.
III. GEOLOGY. 11. Quaternary Stratigraphy.
Principles. Defining Units. Space Definition and Correlation. Time Correlation and Dating. 12. Glacial Legacy: Isostasy, Eustasy, Volcanism, and Biota.
Isostasy. Eustasy. Interactions Between Isostasy and Eustasy. Glaciers, Tectonics, and Volcanoes. Effects of Glacial Climatic Changes on Biota. 13. The Cenozoic Ice Age.
Scope and Limitations. The Cenozoic Ice Age. 14. Pre-Quaternary Glaciations.
Introduction. Basis of Interpretation. Archean Glaciations. Early Proterozoic Glaciations. Late Proterozoic Glaciations. Late Paleozoic Glaciations. 15. Causes of Glaciation.
Long-Term Changes. Short-Term Fluctuations. Conclusions. Useful North American Addresses and Websites.
Glossary of Selected Terms.
References.
Index.