The Periglacial Environment

Preface to Fourth Edition xv
 
Preface to Third Edition xvii
 
Preface to Second Edition xix
 
Preface to First Edition xxi
 
Acknowledgments xxiii
 
Part I The Periglacial Domain 1
 
1 Introduction 3
 
1.1 The Periglacial Concept 3
 
1.2 Diagnostic Criteria 4
 
1.3 Periglacial Environments 5
 
1.4 The Periglacial Domain 6
 
1.5 The Periglacial Domain and the Cryosphere 9
 
1.6 Disciplinary Considerations 10
 
1.6.1 The Growth of Geocryology 10
 
1.6.2 The Challenge of Quaternary Science 11
 
1.6.3 Periglacial Geomorphology or Cold-Region Geomorphology? 12
 
1.7 Societal Considerations 12
 
1.8 The Growth of Periglacial Knowledge 13
 
2 Periglacial Climates 17
 
2.1 Boundary Conditions 17
 
2.2 Cold Deserts 17
 
2.3 Regional Climates 19
 
2.3.1 High Arctic Climates 22
 
2.3.2 Continental Climates 24
 
2.3.3 Alpine Climates 24
 
2.3.4 Montane Climates 25
 
2.3.5 Climates of Low Annual Temperature Range 25
 
2.3.6 Antarctica: A Special Case 26
 
2.4 Snow and Ice 26
 
2.5 Wind 28
 
2.6 Ground Climates 28
 
2.6.1 The 'n'-Factor 28
 
2.6.2 TheThermal Offset 29
 
2.6.3 The Ground Temperature Regime 31
 
2.7 Periglacial Climates and Global Climate Change 35
 
2.7.1 Basic Facts 37
 
2.7.2 Why Climate-Cryosphere Interactions Accelerate ClimateWarming 38
 
3 Periglacial Ecosystems 41
 
3.1 General Statement 41
 
3.2 Biogeographic Zonation and Major Vegetation Types 41
 
3.3 Adaptations to Cold, Snow,Wind and Aridity 44
 
3.4 The Effect of Vegetation 44
 
3.5 The Polar Deserts 47
 
3.5.1 High Polar Deserts 47
 
3.5.2 The Polar Semi-Deserts 47
 
3.6 The Polar Desert-Tundra Transition 49
 
3.7 The Low-Arctic Tundra 49
 
3.8 The Forest-Tundra Bioclimatic

Hugh French was born in England and educated at The University of Southampton (BA, PhD). He emigrated from the UK in 1967 to accept an appointment with The University of Ottawa, Canada, where he taught in the Departments of Geography (1967-2003), Geology (1980-1992) and Earth Sciences (1998-2003). He has been Dean of the Faculty of Science at The University of Ottawa (1992-1997), President of the International Permafrost Association (1998-2003) and Editor-in-Chief of Permafrost and Periglacial Processes (1990-2005). He has received the Roger Brown Award of the Canadian Geotechnical Society for outstanding contributions to permafrost science and engineering (1989), the Canadian Association of Geographers award for scholarly distinction (1995), and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Permafrost Association (2016).
 
Hugh French is now Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa, and an Adjunct Professor, University of Victoria. He lives on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.