Tropical Glaciers [Paperback]

Glaciers in the tropics and their environmental consequences.Tropical glaciers are highly sensitive indicators of global climate but are also fresh water reservoirs in some fast developing regions. In some cases they are a permanent threat to people. This book starts with the dramatic story of a glacial lake and continues with an analysis of tropical glaciology. Glacier fluctuations are reconstructed and the probable climatic reasons are discussed. This book is the first which systematically and comprehensively presents the special conditions of tropical glaciers. The accompanying map dramatically portrays these changes on the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.Tropical glaciers are highly sensitive indicators of global climate but are also fresh water reservoirs in some fast developing regions. In some cases they are a permanent threat to people. This book starts with the dramatic story of a glacial lake and continues with an analysis of tropical glaciology. Glacier fluctuations are reconstructed and the probable climatic reasons are discussed. This book is the first which systematically and comprehensively presents the special conditions of tropical glaciers. The accompanying map dramatically portrays these changes on the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.Tropical glaciers are both highly sensitive indicators of global climate and fresh water reservoirs in some fast developing regions. This book gives a theoretical and practical analysis of tropical glaciology including a useful definition of tropical glacier-climate regimes and an analysis of the main glaciological variables. The Rwenzori and the Cordillera Blanca are investigated as examples of tropical glacierized mountains. The fluctuations of their glaciers since the end of the Little Ice Age are reconstructed and the probable climatic reasons are discussed. The evidence of great expansions of mountain glaciers throughout the tropics on several occasions during the Quaternary are summarized, examined and then aplã6