Climate Change: Observed Impacts on Planet Earth

Earth's climate is always changing. As the debate over the Earth's climate has grown, the term "climate change" has come to refer primarily to changes we've seen over recent years and those that are predicted to be coming, mainly as a result of human behavior. Climate Change: Observed Impacts on Planet Earth, Second Edition, serves as a broad, accessible guide to the science behind this often political and heated debate by providing scientific detail and evidence in language that is clear to both the climatologist and the non-specialist.

The book contains 35 chapters on all scientific aspects of climate change, written by the world's authority of each particular subject. It collects the latest information on all of these topics in one volume. In this way, readers can make connections between the various topics covered in the book, leading to new ways of solving problems and looking at related issues. The book also contains major references and details for further research and understanding on all issues related to climate change, giving a clear indication of a looming crisis in global warming and climate change.

Provides an up-to-date account of the current understanding of climate change and global warmingIncludes 23 updated chapters and 12 new chaptersIncludes coverage on modeling climate change, geological history of climate change, and on engineering aspects of climate changeWritten by the world’s leading experts on the issues related to climate change

PART 1: A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

1. A Geological History of Climate Change

PART 2: INDICATORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

2. Global Surface Temperature- including Sea Temperature

3. Arctic Sea Ice

4. Antarctic Sea ice

5. Land Ice

6. Atmospheric Circulation

7. Weather Patterns

8. Bird Ecology

9. Mammal Ecology

10. Insect Communities

11. Sea Life (Pelagic and Planktonic)

12. Coral Reefs

13. Marine Biodiversity

14. Intertidal Indicators

15. Plant Ecology

16. Rising Sea levels

17. Ocean Currents

18. Ocean Acidification

19. Lichens

20. Coastline Degradation

21. Plant Pathogens

PART 3: MODELLING CLIMATE CHANGE

22. Statistical modelling of climate change

23. A modelling perspective of Future Climate

PART 4: POSSIBLE ROLES IN CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE

24. The Role of Atmospheric Gases in Global Warming

25. The Variation of the Earth’s Movements (orbital, tilt and precession

26. Volcanic Activity

27. Aerosols and Carbon Black particles in the Atmosphere

28. Agricultural Practices

29. Changes in the Sun’s radiation

30. Space Weather and Cosmic Ray effects

PART 5: ENGINEERING AND SOCIETAL ASPECTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE OR DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

31. Engineering Aspects of Global Change

32. How Forest Managers Are Adapting to Climate Change: Science, Policy and Practice

33. Societal Adaptation to Climate Change