Description

This book is a celebration of the disappearing world of ice and snow, or what scientists know as The Cryosphere. Although frozen water represents a significant component of Planet Earth, it is rapidly declining, both in area and volume in response to global warming. The next few generations of humanity will see unprecedented change in ice and snow cover, so now is the time to place on record the magical beauty of such areas. The two authors have each studied glaciers for half a century, both as researchers and educators. We have had the opportunity to work in both polar regions, as well as several of the world’s major mountain ranges. They examine ice and snow on all scales, from the mighty glaciers and ice sheets that still cover ten per cent of Earth’s land surface to frozen puddles and fluffy snow. We illustrate how a myriad of snowflakes are transformed into glacier ice, which then flows under the influence of gravity, and finally disappears through melting. They illustrate how glaciers have eroded Earth’s surface to produce some of our most stunning landscapes, and the importance of deposition of debris to the provision of rich soils. They explore ice in the ocean, on lakes and in rivers, and the illustrate the delicate beauty of frost and snow. Finally, they show some of the ways in which plants, animals and humans interact with the Cryosphere. Our Frozen Planet serves as a reminder of what we are losing, but also gives us the courage to tackle the global climate emergency. AUTHORS: Michael Hambrey is Emeritus Professor of Glaciology and former Director of the Centre for Glaciology in the Department of Geography & Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK. He was also founding director of the Climate Change Consortium of Wales. His research interests include glacial geology and structural glaciology. He has published nearly 200 scientific papers and several books, including university-level textbooks Glacial Environments (1994) and, with Jurg Alean, Colour Atlas of Glacial Phenomena (2017). In addition Michael has co-written popular science books Glaciers (2nd edn, 2004) and Gletscher der Welt (2013) with Jurg Alean, and Islands of the Arctic (2002) and The Continent of Antarctica (2018) with Julian Dowdeswell. Jurg Alean was formerly a teacher of geography at the Kantonsschule Zurcher Unterland in Bulach, Switzerland. He has undertaken extensive fieldwork in the Swiss Alps, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and South America. His research has led to various scientific papers, in particular concerning dangerous glaciers and ice avalanches. He has also published many popular scientific articles and several books, for example, Gletscher der Alpen (2010) and Gletscher der Welt (2013), as well as those mentioned above with Michael Hambrey. SELLING POINTS: . A sensational photographic exploration of the world of ice and snow, from oceans to ice sheets, glaciers and ice caves, and the stunning landscapes of the world’s major mountain ranges . Beautiful photography through which documents extraordinary changes across several decades . On-topic: presents how global shifts in temperature are affecting snow and ice, melting glaciers, and how it affects the communities who live in those areas . Authors are experts in their field and have been studying glaciers for over 50 years . Gives a positive message as it’s not only a reminder of what we stand to lose, but gives readers the courage to tackle the global climate emergency 230 colour, 1 b/w illustrations