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

Land and sea ice combined form the largest part of the Earth's cryosphere, responding to climate change over timescales ranging from seasons to millennia. This is a detailed and comprehensive overview of the observation and modelling of present and predicted future trends in the mass balance of ice on Earth.

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.