Search results for ""author colin k. ballantyne""

A FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE EXPLORATION OF PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES, PAST AND PRESENT, AND THEIR ROLE IN LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION Periglacial Geomorphology presents a comprehensive introduction to the processes that operate in present periglacial environments and discusses the inferences that can be drawn about former periglacial environments from those processes. Organized into six parts, the book opens with the historical and scientific context of periglacial geomorphology and the nature of periglacial environments. Following chapters provide systematic coverage of the full range of topics germane to a thorough understanding of periglacial geomorphology, including: The physics of ground freezing and thawing, characteristics of permafrost, and the nature and origin of underground ice Characteristics, formation and significance of landforms, sediments, and structures associated with permafrost, permafrost degradation, and seasonal ground freezing and thawing Rock weathering in periglacial environments, periglacial processes operating on hillslopes, and the characteristic landforms produced by rock breakdown and slope processes in cold environments The operation of fluvial, aeolian and coastal processes in cold environments, and the resulting distinctive landforms and sediments The use of relict periglacial features to reconstruct past cold environments in midlatitude regions and the responses of periglacial environments to recent and predicted climate change Periglacial Geomorphology is an important resource for undergraduate and graduate students studying geomorphology or Quaternary science within the context of geography and geology degree programs. It will be of use to all scientists whose research involves an understanding of cold environments, whether from a geographical, geological, ecological, climatological, pedological, hydrological, or engineering perspective.

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The diversity of Scotland's mountains is remarkable, encompassing the isolated summits of the far northwest, the serrated ridges of Skye, the tor-studded high plateau of the Cairngorms and the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands. Born on ancient continents and uplifted by tectonic forces, the mountains of Scotland have been sculpted by successive ice sheets, landslides, frost, wind and running water. This book explains the geological evolution of Scotland's mountains, and how this has produced an unparalleled variety of mountain forms. It outlines the effects of successive ice sheets on mountain scenery, and explains the dramatic changes in climate that terminated the Ice Age only 11,500 years ago. In non-technical terms it explains the effects of frost action in forming the rubble that mantles many mountain summits, and how such debris has slowly migrated downslope by freezing and thawing of the ground. The dramatic effects of deglaciation and earthquakes in triggering catastrophic landslides and downslope displacement of entire mountainsides are described, along with accounts of more recent events involving the rapid downslope flow of saturated debris. The book also outlines how Scottish mountains experience frequent gale-force winds, and their impact of wind in scouring plateaus and depositing expanses of windblown sand on lee slopes. The role of floods in eroding upland terrain and depositing floodplains, terraces and fans of sediment is described in the context of possible human influence on river regime through forest clearance.Written in clear, non-technical language and abundantly illustrated, this book is designed to provide an essential guide to landforms for all those who walk, climb, live and work in the mountains of Scotland.

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