Climate Change and Geodynamics in Polar Regions covers most of the scientific aspects of geoscientific investigation undertaken by Indian researchers in the polar regions: the Antarctic, Arctic, and Himalayan regions. A firm understanding of the cryosphere region's geological perspectives helps students and geoscientists evaluate important scientific queries in the field. This book will help readers understand how the cryosphere’s geoscientific evolution took place in the geological past, climate change throughout history, and how polar regions were affected by global warming. It also discusses how we might expect polar climate to change in the future. A firm understanding of the cryosphere region's geological perspectives helps students and geoscientists answer some of the most puzzling scientific queries and generate new ideas for future research in this field.

This book, based on the proceedings of third symposium held on 17th August 1977 during the Xth INQUA Congress at Birmingham, UK, focuses on the influence the Antarctic glaciation had on world palaeoenvironments.

MARGO - Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean surface summarizes the results of the MARGO international working group, with the aim to develop an updated and harmonised reconstruction of sea surface temperatures and sea-ice extent of the Last Glacial Maximum oceans. The MARGO approach differs from previous efforts by developing and consistently applying measures of various aspects of reconstruction reliability, and by combining faunal and geochemical proxies. In 14 papers, the volume provides a comprehensive review of earlier work and a series of new, proxy-specific reconstructions based on census counts of planktonic foraminifera, diatoms, radiolaria and dinoflagellate cysts as well as on Mg/Ca measurements in planktonic foraminifera. The approach of harmonising the calibration and application of different proxies is described in detail, various paleothermometry techniques and their results are compared and the challenge of treating sparsely sampled data as the basis for ocean circulation models is addressed. The use of stable oxygen isotope composition of foraminiferal shells as a proxy for past sea water composition is comprehensively reassessed, and a new approach to the transfer function paleothermometer is presented. This volume represents a landmark contribution to the understanding of ice-age oceanography as well as the proxies used to reconstruct past ocean states. The results will form the basis for forcing and validation of ocean circulation models. New regional reconstructions of Last Glacial Maximum ocean temperatures and sea ice cover Compilation of new calibration and fossil datasets as well as documentation of techniques and approaches to paleoenvironmental reconstructions Comparison of techniques, proxies and modelling approaches

One of Springer’s Major Reference Works, this book gives the reader a truly global perspective. It is the first major reference work in its field. Paleoclimate topics covered in the encyclopedia give the reader the capability to place the observations of recent global warming in the context of longer-term natural climate fluctuations. Significant elements of the encyclopedia include recent developments in paleoclimate modeling, paleo-ocean circulation, as well as the influence of geological processes and biological feedbacks on global climate change. The encyclopedia gives the reader an entry point into the literature on these and many other groundbreaking topics.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Bremen, Germany, October 10-14, 1988

Life on our planet depends upon having a climate that changes within narrow limits – not too hot for the oceans to boil away nor too cold for the planet to freeze over. Over the past billion years Earth’s average temperature has stayed close to 14-15°C, oscillating between warm greenhouse states and cold icehouse states. We live with variation, but a variation with limits. Paleoclimatology is the science of understanding and explaining those variations, those limits, and the forces that control them. Without that understanding we will not be able to foresee future change accurately as our population grows. Our impact on the planet is now equal to a geological force, such that many geologists now see us as living in a new geological era – the Anthropocene. Paleoclimatology describes Earth’s passage through the greenhouse and icehouse worlds of the past 800 million years, including the glaciations of Snowball Earth in a world that was then free of land plants. It describes the operation of the Earth’s thermostat, which keeps the planet fit for life, and its control by interactions between greenhouse gases, land plants, chemical weathering, continental motions, volcanic activity, orbital change and solar variability. It explains how we arrived at our current understanding of the climate system, by reviewing the contributions of scientists since the mid-1700s, showing how their ideas were modified as science progressed. And it includes reflections based on the author’s involvement in palaeoclimatic research. The book will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about future climate change. It will be an invaluable course reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students in geology, climatology, oceanography and the history of science. "A real tour-de-force! An outstanding summary not only of the science and what needs to be done, but also the challenges that are a consequence of psychological and cultural baggage that threatens not only the survival of our own species but the many others we are eliminating as well." Peter Barrett Emeritus Professor of Geology, Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand "What a remarkable and wonderful synthesis... it will be a wonderful source of [paleoclimate] information and insights." Christopher R. Scotese Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA