Donald Rapp

eBook, PDF

Ice Ages and Interglacials (eBook, PDF)

Measurements, Interpretation and Models

Beschreibung

Ice ages represent perhaps the most dramatic example of extreme climate change on the Earth. Understanding how and why ice ages occur is of great importance in our wider understanding of the global climate system and how it might change. If one examines Greenland ice data for the past 100,000 years, it becomes very clear that the relatively warm period of the past 11,000 years stand out in striking contrast to the 90,000 years of extreme cold that preceded it. We now refer to the unusually warm period that we are in at the present time as an interglacial; the long preceding period of cold is a glacial or ice age. During the last ice age, humans developed elaborate tools and homo sapiens migrated from Africa to Europe, but it wasn't until that ice age ended 11,000 years ago that agriculture began and with it the foundation of modern civilization. It is therefore not surprising that there is enormous interest in trying to work out the mechanisms which trigger ice ages to begin, and what causes them to end. Of particular interest is the fact that ice ages appear to begin and end very abruptly on the geological timescale.

Previous and existing books on ice ages are mostly short, popular and non-technical. This book will provide an independent and complete summary of the latest data, independent of theory or analysis, before exploring theories and making comparisons with that data. Professor Donald Rapp has had a long and varied scientific and engineering career, with 48 years of experience in different fields. He has published many scientific papers and five books, including Assessing Climate Change, published by Springer-Praxis in December 2007.

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Autor

Donald Rapp has had a long and varied science and engineering career with 48 years of experience after receiving his Ph. D. from the University of California in January, 1960. He was a professor for 14 years, and achieved the rank of full professor at age 40. Over the years, he has developed a unique talent to move into a field, research it thoroughly, and write an incisive, perceptive summary of the field. His capabilities are widely sought for writing summary technical reports and technical proposals. He has published many scientific papers and five text books: Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Solar Energy, Human Missions to Mars, and Assessing Climate Change. The Mars and Climate books were published by Praxis Publishing, so Praxis/Springer is familiar with my abilities.  His five books are summarized at:   http://home.earthlink.net/~drdrapp

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• Seitenzahl: 263
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. August 2009
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9783540896807
• Artikelnr.: 44134277

Rezensionen

From the reviews: "In an extensive, detailed review of research, Rapp evaluates theories, models, data and their sources, methodologies, and assumptions relative to the prevailing astronomical theory. ... His concerns ... remind readers that the scientific method and neutral, objective analyses must not be abandoned in the search for understanding how the Earth's climate is changing. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." (L. S. Zipp, Choice, Vol. 47 (4), December, 2009)