Cold Region Hazards and Risks

Cold Region Hazards and Risks is a unique, timely and engaging text with wide ranging geographical coverage. The book brings together information on a vast array of hazards associated with ice and snow, spanning both well–known phenomenon such as avalanches and the less familiar including river ice jams and ice storms.

The book offers a clear and accessible structure with a separate chapter allocated to each hazard, featuring an overview of the hazard and highlighting key physical and human issues. Each chapter will also present a summary and conclusions as well as offering key references, making the book an invaluable resource.

Discusses the significance of global warming in relation to cold region hazards Uses numerous case studies and broad physical models to provide an applied and scientific context Wide ranging geographical coverage including material from the Americas, Asia, Australasia, Antarctic and Europe Covers the latest developments in the field

Preface.

1 Introduction.

1.1 Concept and rationale.

1.2 Scope and classification of the hazards. 

1.3 Hazard awareness.

1.4 Physical properties of ice classification.

1.5 Hazard and Risk.

1.6 Summary.

2 Arctic Sea Ice.

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 The Arctic Ocean.

2.3 Sea ice.

2.4 Impacts.

2.5 Direct impacts.

2.6 Indirect impacts.

2.7 Mitigation.

2.8 Summary.

3 Ice Sheets Antarctica and Greenland.

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Ice sheet systems.

3.3 Greenland.

3.4 Antarctica.

3.5 Impacts of ice sheet loss.

3.6 Mitigation.

3.7 Summary.

4 Icebergs.

4.1 Introduction.

4.2 Iceberg characteristics.

4.3 Iceberg impact and risk.

4.4 Iceberg mitigation.

4.5 Summary.

5 Glaciers.

5.1 Introduction.

5.2 Inherent glacier hazards.

5.3 Glacier mass balance changes.

5.4 Mitigation measures.

5.5 Summary.

6 Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).

6.1 Introduction.

6.2 The glacial meltwater system.

6.3 GLOFs.

6.4 Trigger mechanisms.

6.5 Risk.

6.6 Mitigation.

6.7 Summary.

7 Permafrost.

7.1 Introduction.

7.2 Permafrost distribution and characteristics.

7.3 Permafrost hazardousness.

7.4 Lowland permafrost hazards.

7.5 Mountain permafrost hazards.

7.6 Summary.

8 Snow Avalanches.

8.1 Introduction.

8.2 Definition, classification and motion.

8.3 Factors promoting avalanches.

8.4 Impacts of avalanches.

8.5 Mitigation methods.

8.6 Summary.

9 River Ice Ice Jams and Ice Roads.

9.1 Introduction.

9.2 Ice jams.

9.3 Ice roads.

9.4 Summary.

10 Winter storms  Ice Storms and Blizzards.

10.1 Introduction.

10.2 Definitions.

10.3 Weather systems and processes.

10.4 Impacts.

10.5 Mitigation.

10.6 Summary.

11 Conclusions The future.

References.

Glossary.

Acronyms.

Index.