The Antarctic environment in the global system

Chapter Editor: Colin Summerhayes

Contributing Authors: David Ainsley, Peter Barrett, Robert Bindschadler, Andrew Clarke, Pete Convey, Eberhard Fahrbach, Julian Gutt, Dominic Hodgson, Mike Meredith, Alison Murray, Hans-Otto Pörtner, Guido di Prisco, Sigrid Schiel, Kevin Speer, Colin Summerhayes, John Turner, Cinzia Verde and Ann Willems

This first chapter sets out the nature of the physical-chemical environment of the Antarctic region and briefly describes key features of life there today.

Pages in this topic

1. The physical setting of Antarctica
2. The Antarctic cryosphere
3. The role of the Antarctic in the global climate system
4. Observations for studies of environmental change in the Antarctic
5. The climate of the Antarctic and its variability
6. Biota of the Antarctic