xii, 342 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), maps (chiefly col.); 26 cm.
Summary
"Antarctica is the coldest and driest continent on Earth - a place for adventure and a key area for global science. Research conducted there has received increasing international attention due to concerns over destruction of the ozone layer and the problem of global warming and melting ice shelves. This dramatically illustrated new book brings together an international group of leading Antarctic scientists to explain why the Antarctic is so central to understanding the history and potential fate of our planet. It introduces the beauty of the world's greatest wilderness, its remarkable attributes and the global importance of the international science done there. Spanning topics from marine biology to space science this book is an accessible overview for anyone interested in the Antarctic and its science and governance."--pub. desc.
Discovering the unknown continent / David W. H. Walton -- A keystone in a changing world / Brian Storey -- Ice with everything / Valérie Masson-Delmotte -- Climate of extremes / John J. Cassano -- Stormy and icy seas / Eberhard Fahrbach -- Life in a cold environment / Peter Convey, Angelika Brandt and Steve Nicol -- Space research from Antarctica / Louis Lanzerotti and Alan T. Weatherwax -- Living and working in the cold / Lou Sanson -- Scientists together in the cold / Colin P. Summerhayes -- Managing the frozen commons / Olav Orheim -- Antarctica : a global change perspective / Alan Rodger.