The new Second Edition of Glacial Geology provides a modern, comprehensive summary of glacial geology and geomorphology. It is has been thoroughly revised and updated from the original First Edition. This book will appeal to all students interested in the landforms and sediments that make up glacial landscapes. The aim of the book is to outline glacial landforms and sediments and to provide the reader with the tools required to interpret glacial landscapes. It describes how glaciers work and how the processes of glacial erosion and deposition which operate within them are recorded in the glacial landscape.
The Second Edition is presented in the same clear and concise format as the First Edition, providing detailed explanations that are not cluttered with unnecessary detail. Additions include a new chapter on Glaciations around the Globe, demonstrating the range of glacial environments present on Earth today and a new chapter on Palaeoglaciology, explaining how glacial landforms and sediments are used in ice-sheet reconstructions. Like the original book, text boxes are used throughout to explain key concepts and to introduce students to case study material from the glacial literature. Newly updated sections on Further Reading are also included at the end of each chapter to point the reader towards key references. The book is illustrated throughout with colour photographs and illustrations.
Preface ix Acknowledgements xi
Illustrations xiii
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 What is Glacial Geology and Why is it Important? 1
1.2 The Aim and Structure of this Book 6
Chapter 2: Glaciations Around The Globe 7
2.1 The Antarctic Ice Sheet 7
2.2 Greenland in the Greenhouse 15
2.3 Southern Hemisphere Temperate Glaciers: Patagonia and New Zealand 17
2.4 Northern Hemisphere Temperate Glaciers: Alaska and Iceland 21
2.5 High-Altitude Glaciers: The Himalaya 22
2.6 Tropical Glaciers: The Cordillera Blanca, Peru 26
2.7 Arctic Polythermal Glaciers 29
2.8 Summary 33
Suggested Reading 33
Chapter 3: Mass Balance and the Mechanisms of Ice Flow 41
3.1 Annual Mass Balance 41
3.2 The Mass Balance Gradient: The Glacial Driving Mechanism 44
3.3 Mechanisms of Ice Flow 47
3.4 The Principles of Basal Thermal Regime 55
3.5 Patterns and Rates of Ice Flow 63
3.6 Glacier Response to Climate Change 69
3.7 Summary 76
Suggested Reading 76
Chapter 4: Glacier Hydrology 81
4.1 Glacier Hydrology 81
4.2 Sources of Glacial Meltwater 82
4.3 Storage of Water in Glaciers 83
4.4 Methods of Studying Glacier Hydrology 84
4.5 Glacier Hydrological Systems 86
4.6 Subglacial Water Pressure 90
4.7 Discharge Fluctuations 97
4.8 Glacial Meltwater Erosion 102
4.9 Summary 104
Suggested Reading 104
Chapter 5: The Processes of Glacial Erosion 109
5.1 Glacial Abrasion 109
5.2 Glacial Quarrying 117
5.3 Estimating Rates of Glacial Erosion 125
5.4 Patterns of Glacial Erosion 128
5.5 Summary 131
Suggested Reading 131
Chapter 6: Landforms of Glacial Erosion 135
6.1 Microscale Features of Glacial Erosion 135
6.2 Mesoscale Features of Glacial Erosion 147
6.3 Macroscale Features of Glacial Erosion 157
6.4 Landscapes of Glacial Erosion 174
6.5 Summary 179
Suggested Reading 179
Chapter 7: Glacial Debris Entrainment and Transport 185
7.1 High-Level Debris Transport 185
7.2 Debris Entrainment 190
7.3 Low-Level Debris Transport 193
7.4 Debris Transfer Between Low and High Levels 197
7.5 Debris Transfer 198
7.6 Summary 202
Suggested Reading 203
Chapter 8: Glacial Sedimentation on Land 207
8.1 Direct Glacial Sedimentation 207
8.2 Fluvial Sedimentation 235
8.3 Summary 243
Suggested Reading 244
Chapter 9: Landforms of Glacial Deposition on Land 247
9.1 Ice-Marginal Moraines 247
9.2 Subglacial Landforms Formed by Ice or Sediment Flow 268
9.3 Glaciofluvial Ice-Marginal Landforms 289
9.4 Glaciofluvial Subglacial Landforms 296
9.5 Summary 299
Suggested Reading 299
Chapter 10: Glacial Sedimentation in Water 305
10.1 Sedimentation in Lacustrine Environments 305
10.2 Sedimentation in Marine Environments 315
10.3 Distinguishing Glaciolacustrine and Glaciomarine Diamicts from Glacial Tills 324
10.4 Summary 325
Suggested Reading 325
Chapter 11: Landforms of Glacial Deposition in Water 329
11.1 Glaciolacustrine Landforms 330
11.2 Glaciomarine Landforms 336
11.3 Summary 343
Suggested Reading 343
Chapter 12: Palaeoglaciology 347
12.1 The Methods Used in Palaeoglaciology 347
12.2 The Key Landforms Used in Palaeoglaciology 353
12.3 Former Subglacial Thermal Regimes 358
12.4 Palaeoglaciological Reconstructions 367
12.5 Summary 370
Suggested Reading 372
Index 377
