Sea Ice An Introduction to its Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geology

by Thomas, David N.; Dieckmann, Gerhard S.

• ISBN13: 9780632058082
• ISBN10: 0632058080
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-06-09
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Sea ice, which covers up to 7% of the planet's surface, is a major component of the world's oceans, partly driving ocean circulation and global climate patterns. It provides a habitat for a rich diversity of marine organisms, and is an extremely valuable source of information in studies of global climate change and the evolution of present day life forms. Increasingly sea ice is being used as a proxy for extraterrestrial ice covered systems.Sea Ice provides a comprehensive review of our current available knowledge of polar pack ice, the study of which is severely constrained by the logistic difficulties of working in such harsh and remote regions of the earth. The book's editors, Drs Thomas and Dieckmann have drawn together an impressive group of international contributing authors, providing a well-edited and integrated volume, which will stand for many years as the standard work on the subject. Contents of the book include details of the growth, microstructure and properties of sea ice, large-scale variations in thickness and characteristics, its primary production, micro-and macrobiology, sea ice as a habitat for birds and mammals, sea ice biogeochemistry, particulate flux, and the distribution and significance of palaeo sea ice.Sea Ice is an essential purchase for oceanographers and marine scientists, environmental scientists, biologists, geochemists and geologists. All those involved in the study of global climate change will find this book to contain a wealth of important information. All libraries in universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught will need multiple copies on their shelves.David Thomas is at the School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.Gerhard Dieckmann is at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany

Author Biography

David Thomas is at the School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.

Gerhard Dieckmann is at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany

Table of Contents

Foreword by G.E. (Tony) Fogg	vii
Acknowledgements	xiv
Chapter 1 The Importance of Sea Ice: An Overview	1	(21)
Gerhard S. Dieckmann and Hartmut H. Helliner
Chapter 2 From the Microscopic, to the Macroscopic, to the Regional Scale: Growth, Microstructure and Properties of Sea Ice	22	(60)
Hajo Eicken
Chapter 3 Dynamics versus Thermodynamics: The Sea Ice Thickness Distribution	82	(30)
Christian Haas
Chapter 4 Large-scale Characteristics and Variability of the Global Sea Ice Cover	112	(31)
Josefino C. Comiso
Chapter 5 Primary Production in Sea Ice	143	(41)
Kevin R. Arrigo
Chapter 6 The Microbiology of Sea Ice	184	(27)
Michael P. Lizotte
Chapter 7 The Macrobiology of Sea Ice	211	(29)
Sigrid B. Schnack-Schiel
Chapter 8 Sea Ice: A Critical Habitat for Polar Marine Mammals and Birds	240	(27)
David G. Ainley, Cynthia T. Tynan and Ian Stirling
Chapter 9 Biogeochemistry of Sea Ice	267	(36)
David N. Thomas and Stathis Papadimitriou
Chapter 10 Particulate Flux From Sea Ice in Polar Waters	303	(30)
Amy Leventer
Chapter 11 Palaeo Sea Ice Distribution - Reconstruction and Palaeoclimatic Significance	333	(40)
Leanne K. Armand and Amy Leventer
Glossary	373	(12)
Index	385