Book Description

This undergraduate textbook provides a current and comprehensive survey of the sediments and forms generated within Pleistocene and pre-Pleistocene glacial environments. Techniques and methods used in the examination of these sediments and forms are extensively reviewed. This is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging book ever prepared on this topic, and will form the basis for future work in the area. In studying past glacial environments, links are made between understanding modern glaciodynamics, ice physics, and the processes of erosion, transport and deposition of glacial sediments and the generation of various glacial landforms. Past Glacial Environments presents physical geography, earth and environmental science students with an extensive review of the latest research on past glacial environments. The text encompasses Pleistocene subglacial, supraglacial and proglacial sediments and environments, pre-Pleistocene global glacial conditions and sediments, as well as past glacioaeolian, glaciolacustrine, and glaciomarine sediments. Subsequent chapters focus on stratigraphy, lithofacies associations, paleosols, glacio-eustasy and isostasy, micromorphology, SEM, drift prospecting and placer mining.