Measuring, monitoring, and modeling technologies and methods changed the field of glaciology significantly in the 14 years since the publication of the first edition of Fundamentals of Glacier Dynamics. Designed to help readers achieve the basic level of understanding required to describe and model the flow and dynamics of glaciers, this second edition provides a theoretical framework for quantitatively interpreting glacier changes and for developing models of glacier flow. See What’s New in the Second Edition: •Streamlined organization focusing on theory, model development, and data interpretation •Introductory chapter reviews the most important mathematical tools used throughout the remainder of the book •New chapter on fracture mechanics and iceberg calving •Consolidated chapter covers applications of the force-budget technique using measurements of surface velocity to locate mechanical controls on glacier flow •The latest developments in theory and modeling, including the addition of a discussion of exact time-dependent similarity solutions that can be used for verification of numerical models The book emphasizes developing procedures and presents derivations leading to frequently used equations step by step to allow readers to grasp the mathematical details as well as physical approximations involved without having to consult the original works. As a result, readers will have gained the understanding needed to apply similar techniques to somewhat different applications. Extensively updated with new material and focusing more on presenting the theoretical foundations of glacier flow, the book provides the tools for model validation in the form of analytical steady-state and time-evolving solutions. It provides the necessary background and theoretical foundation for developing more realistic ice-sheet models, which is essential for better integration of data and observations as well as for better model development.

Mathematical Tools Vectors and Tensors Stress and Strain Error Analysis Parametric Uncertainty Analysis Calculating Strain Rates Ice Deformation Creep of Glacier Ice Constitutive Relation More about the Constitutive Relation Fabric Effects in Glacier Ice Creep in Axially Symmetric Ice Mechanics of Glacier Flow Force Balance Interpreting Force Balance The Force-Budget Technique Bridging Effects Stokes Equation Applied to Glacier Flow Creep Closure of Englacial Tunnels Modeling Glacier Flow Introduction Lamellar Flow Including Lateral Drag Glacier Flow Controlled by Lateral Drag Ice-Shelf Spreading Along-Flow Variations in Glacier Flow Flow Near an Ice Divide Equilibrium Profiles of Glaciers Perfect Plasticity Continuity Equation Steady-State Profiles along a Flowline Steady-State Profile of an Axisymmetric Ice Sheet Steady-State Profile of a Free-Floating Ice Shelf Flow Controlled by Lateral Drag Glacier Thermodynamics Conservation of Energy Steady-State Temperature Profiles Effect of Horizontal Heat Advection Thermal Response of a Glacier to Changes in Climate Radiation Balance at the Surface of a Glacier Turbulent Heat Fluxes Physical Properties of Firn Calculated Near-Surface Snow Temperatures at SouthPole Station Subglacial Processes Introductory Concepts Sliding with Cavitation Glacier Flow over a Soft Bed Subglacial Hydraulics Tunnel Drainage Fractures Surface Crevasses Fracture Mechanics Two-Dimensional Crevasse Propagation Basal Crevasses Iceberg Calving Numerical Ice-Sheet Models Introductory Remarks Numerical Methods Model Driven by Shear Stress Only FlowBand Model Calculating the Temperature Field Geodynamics Ice-Shelf Models Dynamics of Glaciers and Ice Sheets Response to Changes in Surface Mass Balance Response to Grounding Line Thinning Time-Dependent Similarity Solutions Glacier Surges Marine Instability Interpreting Observations Introductory Remarks Locating Mechanical Controls Estimating the Role of Gradients in Longitudinal Stress Estimating Resistance from Lateral Drag References Index