Changing Cold Environments: A Canadian Perspective -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- Glossary -- PART ONE: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF CANADA'S COLD ENVIRONMENTS -- 1 Cold Canada and the Changing Cryosphere -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Cryosphere -- 1.3 Cold Canada -- 1.4 Cold Climates -- 1.5 Arctic and Alpine Considerations -- 1.6 Canada's Physical Geography -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 2 The Late Quaternary Glaciation of Northern Canada -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Landforms and the Late Quaternary Glaciations -- 2.3 Late Quaternary Sea level Change and its Relationship to Glaciation History -- 2.4 Late Quaternary Glaciation and Deglacial History -- 2.5 Wider Implications of Canadian Arctic Ice Sheet Dynamics -- 2.6 Holocene Glacial Events -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 3 The Evolution of Polar Desert and Tundra Ecosystems -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 The Nature of the Environment -- 3.3 Ecology of Arctic Plants -- 3.4 Vegetation Zonation -- 3.5 Arctic Oases -- 3.6 Long term Evolution of Canadian Arctic Ecosystems -- 3.7 The Quaternary -- 3.8 Postglacial Climate and Vegetation Change in Arctic Canada -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 4 Remote Sensing and Canadian Snow Climatology -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Importance of Snow in the Earth System -- 4.3 Snow Measurements in Canada -- 4.4 Remote Sensing of Snow -- 4.5 Snow Variations Inferred from Remote Sensing Observations -- 4.6 Discussion -- 4.7 Conclusion -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- PART TWO: THE CHANGING CRYOSPHERE -- 5 The Changing Climates -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Late Pliocene -- 5.3 Quaternary History -- 5.4 Postglacial Conditions -- 5.5 The Last Two Millennia -- 5.6 Recent Changes.

5.7 The Future -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 6 Snow and Runoff: Processes, Sensitivity and Vulnerability -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Snow Accumulation -- 6.3 Land Cover -- 6.4 Snow Ablation -- 6.5 Snowmelt Runoff Processes -- 6.6 Streamflow -- 6.7 Snowmelt Floods in Large Basins -- 6.8 Snow Vulnerability -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 7 Permafrost Distribution and Stability -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Distribution of Permafrost -- 7.3 Thermal Regime of Permafrost -- 7.4 Permafrost and Climate Change -- 7.5 Conclusions -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 8 Sea Ice in Canada -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 What is Sea Ice? -- 8.3 The Physical Nature of Sea Ice -- 8.4 Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Sea Ice -- 8.5 Sea Ice and Climate Change -- 8.6 Implications for Northern Communities, Economic Development and the Environment -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 9 Lake and River Ice in Canada -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Role in the Climate System -- 9.3 Climatic Controls -- 9.4 Historical Trends and Linkages to Climate -- 9.5 Future Ice Regime Projections -- 9.6 Implications of Ice Regime Changes -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- PART THREE: THE EVER-CHANGING SCENERY -- 10 Climate Change and the Central Canadian Treeline -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 The Central Canadian Treeline Zone Today -- 10.3 Current Warming at the Central Canadian Treeline -- 10.4 Response of the Central Canadian Treeline to Warming Temperatures -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 11 Geomorphic Change in Northern Canada -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Lessons from the Past -- 11.3 Freezing, Thawing and Bedrock Instability -- 11.4 Warming Permafrost.

11.5 Changes in Azonal Processes -- 11.6 Geotechnical Implications of Warming Permafrost -- 11.7 Conclusions -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 12 Geomorphic Change in Canada's Temperate Mountains -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Present Morphology -- 12.3 Spatial Variability of Ecology and Morphology -- 12.4 Hydroclimate and Cryospheric Phenomena -- 12.5 Rates and Kinds of Geomorphic Processes -- 12.6 Disturbances Regimes and Landscape Transitions -- 12.7 Conclusions -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 13 Risk from Cold-climate Hazards in the Canadian Cordillera -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Cold-climate Hazards -- 13.3 Risk and Climate Variability -- 13.4 Conclusions -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 14 Societal Aspects of Changing Cold Environments -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Cultural Pursuits and Indigenous Rights -- 14.3 Local and Broader Implications of Changing Sea Ice -- 14.4 Northern Governance -- 14.5 Conclusions -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- 15 The Changing Canadian Cryosphere, Globalization and Global Environmental Change -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 The Question of Scale -- 15.3 Adaptive Management -- 15.4 Globalization -- 15.5 Conclusion -- References -- Discussion Questions -- Some Useful Internet Sources -- Index -- Colour Plates.