Introduction to the Physics of the Cryosphere (Second Edition)

The cryosphere includes all regions of the Earth that are frozen at some point in the year. We know that the cryosphere is changing with the climate from observations made both on the surface and from space. However, we need physics to understand why these changes are happening. This book describes the basic physics associated with changes from liquid to water to ice, the role of salt in sea ice, factors governing the structure of snow crystals and its relevance in remote sensing. The text explores the effects of climate change on this vulnerable ecosystem.

This book defines different parts of the cryosphere: permafrost, snow, land ice, sea ice, ocean, atmosphere and covers numerical modelling of thermodynamic exchanges: conservation of mass, energy, and momentum. It explains the basis behind phenomena such as formation of stone circles from melt-freeze processes and faster glacial flow from pressure melting. This course text also discusses the contribution of melt to sea level rise, damage from permafrost thaw and explains terms used commonly in the literature.

This second edition is intended for graduates with a numerical sciences background, particularly those who are heading towards postgraduate study or are generally interested in environmental physics.