Mass Balance of the Cryosphere
Observations and Modelling of Contemporary and Future Changes

A detailed and comprehensive overview of observational and modelling techniques for all climate change, environmental science and glaciology researchers.

Jonathan L. Bamber (Edited by), Antony J. Payne (Edited by), John Houghton (Foreword by)

9781108457217, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 March 2018

661 pages
24.5 x 17.2 x 3.5 cm, 1.17 kg

'The book provides an excellent and detailed reference for scientists interested in the current and likely future mass balance of land and sea ice. The chapters are well written, each chapter is accompanied by its own bibliography and figures are generally reproduced to a high standard.' Geological Magazine

The cryosphere comprises all the frozen water and soil on the surface of the Earth. Mass Balance of the Cryosphere focuses on two key components of this environment: land ice (in the form of ice sheets, caps and glaciers) and sea ice. These components have been identified as important indicators of both short and long term climate change. Early chapters cover the theory behind field-based and satellite observations, and modelling of mass balance, providing a thorough grounding in all the concepts and issues presented later in the book. Later chapters review our current understanding of the present and predicted future mass balance of the cryosphere. This is an important reference for all scientists working in the fields of climate change, environmental sciences and glaciology. It is written by leading authors in the field, and is fully integrated to provide a coherent, cross-referenced and consistent exposition on the subject.

1. Introduction and background Jonathan L. Bamber and Antony J. Payne
Part I. Observational Techniques and Methods: 2. In situ measurement techniques: land ice Jon Ove Hagen and Niels Reeh
3. In situ measurement techniques: sea ice Peter Wadhams
4. Remote sensing measurement techniques Jonathan L. Bamber and Ron Kwok
Part II. Modelling Techniques and Methods: 5. Modelling land ice surface mass balance Wouter Greuell and Christophe Genthon
6. Modelling land ice dynamics Kees van der Veen and Anthony J. Payne
7. Modelling sea ice dynamics William D. Hibler, III
Part III. The Mass Balance of Sea Ice: 8. Sea ice observations Seymour Laxon, Ola Johannessen, Martin Miles, Peter Wadhams and John E. Walsh
9. Sea-ice modelling Gregory M. Flato
Part IV. The Mass Balance of the Ice Sheets: 10. Greenland: recent mass-balance observations Robert H. Thomas and the PARCA investigators
11. Greenland: modelling Roderik van der Wal
12. Mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet: observational aspects Charles Bentley
13. Antarctica: modelling Philippe Huybrechts
Part V. The Mass Balance of Ice Caps and Glaciers: 14. Arctic ice caps and glaciers Julian Dowdeswell
15. Glaciers and ice caps: historical background and strategies of worldwide monitoring Wilfried Haeberli
16. Glaciers and the study of climate and sea-level change Mark Dyurgerov and Mark Meier
17. Conclusions, summary and outlook Jonathan L. Bamber and Antony J. Payne.

Subject Areas: Environmental science, engineering & technology [TQ], Meteorology & climatology [RBP], Geological surface processes [geomorphology RBGD]