Abrupt Climate Change

Quarto softcover; 244 pp.; numerous color photographic panels and global diagrams. Tight binding, clean throughout. Light edge wear. Very Good. Synthesis and Assessment Product 3.4. A Scientific report providing a comprehensive assessment of abrupt climate change, defined as large-scale changes taking place over a few decades or less that persist for years and cause substantial disruptions. Considers four specific types of abrupt change identified in the paleoclimatic record: rapid glacier/ice sheet change and sea-level rise; widespread hydrologic cycle shifts; changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC); and rapid release of methane from permafrost. Reflects significant progress in the field since 2002, integrating data from new paleoclimatic reconstructions and unanticipated observations of modern ice shelf dynamics to assess the likelihood of such events occurring in response to human influences.