Past Antarctica: Paleoclimatology and Climate Change

Past Antarctica: Paleoclimatology and Climate Change presents research on the past and present of Antarctica in reference to its current condition, including considerations for effects due to climate change. Experts in the field explore key topics, including environmental changes, human colonization and present environmental trends. Addressing a wide range of fields, including the biosphere, geology and biochemistry, the book offers geographers, climatologists and other Earth scientists a vital resource that is beneficial to an understanding of Antarctica, its history and conservation efforts.

Synthesizes research on the past and present of Antarctica, bringing together top Earth scientists who work in this disciplinePresents the most complete reconstruction of the paleoclimate and environment of Antarctica, tying in long-term climatic changes to the current environmentOffers perspectives from different branches of the Earth Sciences using a spatial-temporal lens

Part 1. Reconstructing Past Climate Variability 1. Long-Term Climate Evolution Based on Ice Core Records 2. Inferring the Past Atmospheric Composition from Ice Cores 3. Holocene Environmental Changes Deduced from Antarctic Lake Sediments

Part 2. Geological and Geomorphological Dynamics 4. The role of volcanism in the making of Antarctica 5. Tracing Deglaciation Since the Last Glacial Maximum 6. Glacio-isostatic Uplift and Relative Sea Level Changes 7. Past Geomorphic Processes: The role of Periglacial Processes in Ice-Free Environments 8. Soils of Antarctica: A Key to Past Environments

Part 3. Biological Processes and Human Colonization 9. Past Changes on Fauna and Flora Distribution 10. Refuge of Antarctic Biodiversity 11. Geoecological Response

Part 4. Recent Climate and Environmental Trends 12. Connections with Middle and Low Latitudes 13. Recent Climate Trends 14. Exploring and Exploiting Antarctica: The First Human Interactions 15. Humans in Antarctica: Science and Policy