Radioglaciology


Book Description

Antarctica, the sixth continent, was discovered more than 160 years ago. Since then this large, mysterious continent of ice and penguins has attracted world interest. Scientific expeditions from various countries have begun to study the geographical and natural conditions of the icy continent. Systematic and comprehensive inves tigations in the Antarctic started in the middle of our century. In 1956 the First Soviet Antarctic Expedition headed to the coast of Antarctica. Their program included studies of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere. Thirty years have since passed. Scientists have unveiled many secrets of Antarctica: significant geophysical processes have been investigated, and a large body of new information on the Antarctic weather, Southern Ocean hydrology and Antarctic glaciers has been obtained. We can now claim that the horizons of polar geo physics, oceanology, and particularly glaciology, have expanded. Scientific inves tigators have obtained new information about all Antarctic regions and thus have created the opportunity to use the Antarctic in the interests of mankind.




Arcticness


Book Description

Climate change and globalisation are opening up the Arctic for exploitation by the world – or so we are told. But what about the views, interests and needs of the peoples who live in the region? This volume explores the opportunities and limitations in engaging with the Arctic under change, and the Arctic peoples experiencing the changes, socially and physically. With essays by both academics and Arctic peoples, integrating multiple perspectives and multiple disciplines, the book covers social, legal, political, geographical, scientific and creative questions related to Arcticness, to address the challenges faced by the Arctic as a region and specifically by local communities. As well as academic essays, the contributions to the book include personal reflections, a graphic Topics covered in the essays include indigenous identity and livelihoods such as reindeer herding, and adapting to modern identities; a graphic essay on the experience of Arctic indigenous peoples in residential schools; the effects of climate change; energy in the Arctic; and extractive industries and their impacts on local communities.essay, and poetry, to ensure wide and varied coverage of the Arctic experience – what the contributions all have in common is the fundamental human perspective.The book includes reflections on the future of Arcticness, engaging with communities to ensure meaningful representation and as a counterpoint to the primacy of environmental, national and global issues.




The Land Beneath the Ice


Book Description

"As soon as humans spied and later set foot on the remote Antarctic continent in the early nineteenth century, they became aware of its ice cover, and desired to learn about its extent, shape, thickness, and behavior. In this book, David Drewry-glaciologist and former Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute-recounts the science and history of a ground-breaking time in recent Antarctic geophysical exploration, in which scientists were finally able to "see" through the Antarctic ice sheet and take its measure. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, scientists' ability to peer beneath the Antarctic ice sheet and map its thickness was revolutionized by the technology, techniques, and exploratory campaigns of the Radio Echo Sounding Programme, conducted by the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge in the UK. The exploratory radar mapping campaigns of this ambitious research program were largely accomplished during the Cold War, as interest and concern in global climate change were just emerging. To those involved in this research and fieldwork, it was evident that the environment of the planet was indeed changing, and that the great ice masses of Antarctica and Greenland, and their evolving stability and behavior, would feature significantly in understanding the future of our world. This book gives an account of the Radio Echo Sounding Programme, describing the scientific background, goals, various scientific, human, political, and natural challenges, and discoveries of the research program. It follows the twists and turns of operating in a remote and hostile region, where detailed and exact planning and preparations were constantly at risk of disruption by bad weather, mechanical and electronic breakdowns, aircraft crashes, and human frailty. It also highlights the strong international cooperation that occurred in Antarctica, during this contentious time in history, speaking to the importance of the 1961 Antarctic Treaty as well as the necessity of working together to tackle problems of global significance"--




Remote Sensing of Glaciers


Book Description

Glaciers and ice sheets have been melting significantly during recent decades, posing environmental threats at local, regional and global scales. Changes in glaciers are one of the clearest indicators of alterations in regional climate, since they are governed by changes in accumulation (from snowfall) and ablation (by melting of ice). Glacier chan




Earth Resources


Book Description




Ground Penetrating Radar Theory and Applications


Book Description

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a rapidly developing field that has seen tremendous progress over the past 15 years. The development of GPR spans aspects of geophysical science, technology, and a wide range of scientific and engineering applications. It is the breadth of applications that has made GPR such a valuable tool in the geophysical consulting and geotechnical engineering industries, has lead to its rapid development, and inspired new areas of research in academia. The topic of GPR has gone from not even being mentioned in geophysical texts ten years ago to being the focus of hundreds of research papers and special issues of journals dedicated to the topic. The explosion of primary literature devoted to GPR technology, theory and applications, has lead to a strong demand for an up-to-date synthesis and overview of this rapidly developing field. Because there are specifics in the utilization of GPR for different applications, a review of the current state of development of the applications along with the fundamental theory is required. This book will provide sufficient detail to allow both practitioners and newcomers to the area of GPR to use it as a handbook and primary research reference.*Review of GPR theory and applications by leaders in the field*Up-to-date information and references*Effective handbook and primary research reference for both experienced practitioners and newcomers







Glaciers and Ice Sheets in the Climate System


Book Description

Our realisation of how profoundly glaciers and ice sheets respond to climate change and impact sea level and the environment has propelled their study to the forefront of Earth system science. Aspects of this multidisciplinary endeavour now constitute major areas of research. This book is named after the international summer school held annually in the beautiful alpine village of Karthaus, Northern Italy, and consists of twenty chapters based on lectures from the school. They cover theory, methods, and observations, and introduce readers to essential glaciological topics such as ice-flow dynamics, polar meteorology, mass balance, ice-core analysis, paleoclimatology, remote sensing and geophysical methods, glacial isostatic adjustment, modern and past glacial fluctuations, and ice sheet reconstruction. The chapters were written by thirty-four contributing authors who are leading international authorities in their fields. The book can be used as a graduate-level textbook for a university course, and as a valuable reference guide for practising glaciologists and climate scientists.




An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics


Book Description

An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics, 2nd Edition, describes the rapidly developing field of near-surface geophysics. The book covers a range of applications including mineral, hydrocarbon and groundwater exploration, and emphasises the use of geophysics in civil engineering and in environmental investigations. Following on from the international popularity of the first edition, this new, revised, and much expanded edition contains additional case histories, and descriptions of geophysical techniques not previously included in such textbooks. The level of mathematics and physics is deliberately kept to a minimum but is described qualitatively within the text. Relevant mathematical expressions are separated into boxes to supplement the text. The book is profusely illustrated with many figures, photographs and line drawings, many never previously published. Key source literature is provided in an extensive reference section; a list of web addresses for key organisations is also given in an appendix as a valuable additional resource. Covers new techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Sounding, Controlled- Source EM, shear-wave seismic refraction, and airborne gravity and EM techniques Now includes radioactivity surveying and more discussions of down-hole geophysical methods; hydrographic and Sub-Bottom Profiling surveying; and UneXploded Ordnance detection Expanded to include more forensic, archaeological, glaciological, agricultural and bio-geophysical applications Includes more information on physio-chemical properties of geological, engineering and environmental materials Takes a fully global approach Companion website with additional resources available at www.wiley.com/go/reynolds/introduction2e Accessible core textbook for undergraduates as well as an ideal reference for industry professionals The second edition is ideal for students wanting a broad introduction to the subject and is also designed for practising civil and geotechnical engineers, geologists, archaeologists and environmental scientists who need an overview of modern geophysical methods relevant to their discipline. While the first edition was the first textbook to provide such a comprehensive coverage of environmental geophysics, the second edition is even more far ranging in terms of techniques, applications and case histories.