The Climatic Record in Polar Ice Sheets

About this book

Originally published in 1983, this multi-author work reviews the then current knowledge of the isotopic and temperature profiles of polar ice sheets. The polar ice sheets contain a wonderfully detailed record of the atmospheric history of the Earth that extends back for hundreds of thousands of years. This book is the result of a workshop held at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge. The review includes the glacial geology and glaciology of ice sheets; measurement and significance of glaciological parameters; temperature, isotopic and gas content profiles; and the climatic record from ice cores. The results presented in this volume will be of particular interest to glaciologists and climatologists.

Contents

List of contributors; Preface; Part I. Ice Sheets: Isotopes and Temperatures G. de Q. Robin: Part II. Ice Sheets: Glacial Geology and Glaciology W. S. B. Paterson: 1. Data on the size of former ice sheets W. S. B. Paterson; 2. Surface profiles of ice sheets W. S. B. Paterson; 3. Migration of centres of ice domes and ice-shelf inland-ice boundaries J. Weertman; 4. Form and flow of the Antarctic ice sheet during the last million years D. J. Drewry and G. de Q. Robin; 5. The Greenland ice sheet G. de Q. Robin; Part III. Glaciological Parameters, their Measurement and Significance C. Lorius: 6. Isotopic composition of the ocean surface as a source for the ice in Antarctica N. J. Shackleton; 7. Atmospheric processes G. de Q. Robin and S. J. Johnsen; 8. Antarctica: survey of near-surface mean isotopic values C. Lorius; 9. Diffusion of stable isotopes S. J. Johnsen and G. de Q. Robin; 10. Techniques for measuring temperatures in glaciers and ice sheets W. S. B. Paterson; 11. Accumulation rate measurements on cold polar glaciers C. Lorius; 12. Ice movement I. M. Whillans; 13. Ice depths, including depths along flowlines G. de Q. Robin; 14. Total gas content D. Raymond; 15. Debris and isotopic sequences in basal layers of polar ice sheets G. S. Boulton; 16. Radio-echo studies of internal layering of polar ice sheets G. de Q. Robin; Part IV: Presentation of Data S. J. Johnsen: 17. General glaciology G. de Q. Robin; 18. Profile data, Greenland region G. de Q. Robin; 19. Profile data, inland Antarctica G. de Q. Robin; 20. Coastal sites, Antarctica G. de Q. Robin; Part V. Analysis of Temperature, Isotopic and Total Gas Content Profiles D. Jenssen and W. F. Budd: 21. Synopsis W. F. Budd; 22. Heat conduction studies D. Jenssen and J. A. Campbell; 23. Elevation and climatic changes from total gas content and stable isotopic measurements D. Jenssen; 24. Techniques for the analysis of temperature-depth profiles in ice sheets W. F. Budd and N. W. Young; 25. Application of modelling techniques to measured profiles of temperatures and isotopes W. F. Budd and N. W. Young; 26. Summary and conclusions W. F. Budd; Part VI. The Climatic Record From Ice Cores G. de Q. Robin: 27. The delta value-temperature relationship; 28. Isotopic-temperature noise; 29. Regional and global trends: the climatic record; 30. Conclusion; Appendix; References; Index.

Customer Reviews