The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Very Short Introductions

Considers the development of Ice Age theory through history
Looks at how we came to understand the changing climates and environments of the Ice Age
Explores how data from ocean and ice-core records is being used to interpret the patterns and cycles of climate change
Written in an easy and fluid narrative style, including stories and biographical sketches of the key people and the human stories of those involved
Part of the best-selling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Description

The study of the Quaternary ice age has revolutionized ideas about Earth system change and the pace of landscape and ecosystem dynamics. The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction looks at evidence from the continents, the oceans, and the ice core records, and the human stories behind it all. Jamie Woodward examines the remarkable environmental shifts that took place during the Great Ice Age of the Quaternary Period. He explores the evolution of ideas, evaluates the contributions of the leading players in the great debates, and presents some of the ingenious methods that have been used to retrieve information about the recent geological past.

In an era of warming climate, the study of the ice age past is now more important than ever. This book examines the wonders of the Quaternary ice age - to show how ice age landscapes and ecosystems were repeatedly and rapidly transformed as plants, animals, and humans reorganized their worlds.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Very Short Introductions

Introduction
1: The Quaternary Ice Age
2: Erratic Boulders and the Diluvium
3: Monster Glaciers
4: Die Eiszeit
5: 1840
6: Ice sheets or icebergs
7: Glacials, interglacials, and celestial cycles
8: Deep ocean sediments and dating the past
9: Ice cores, abrupt climate shifts, and ecosystem change
Epilogue
Further reading

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Very Short Introductions

Author Information

Jamie Woodward, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Manchester

Jamie Woodward is Professor of Physical Geography at The University of Manchester. He has published widely on Quaternary environmental change and human activity in ice age environments and has extensive field experience in the Mediterranean region and in the Nile Valley. He is the Co-Editor of Geoarchaeology: An International Journal and is the Quaternary Science and Geomorphology Editor for the Journal of the Geological Society of London He has recently co-authored four chapters and edited The Physical Geography of the Mediterranean for OUP (2009).

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Very Short Introductions

Reviews and Awards

"Woodward's book tells a remarkable story in a succinct yet comprehensive way... The historical development of ideas relating to Ice Ages has always fascinated me and will no doubt enthral the general readership for which it is intended." - John A Matthews, The Holocene

"I very much enjoy delving into the A Very Short Introduction series for a short, but not too short, summary of a subject. The Ice Age is another in this extensive series published by Oxford University Press. There are more than 350 volumes in the series and they aim to provide a 'stimulating and accessible' way into a new subject." - Weather

"For me, this is just the right approach. Science is not just facts, but it is also people, blind alleys, prejudices... and egos. Taken together, this is a heady mixture which has been expertly stirred together." - Geological Journal

"This is a quite delightful book, in every way. It is well written. It is stacked with new research, something that is not easy for such a 'well-worn' topic, and not a word is wasted. It also includes a large number of cameos that enhance our understanding of Quaternary Science." - Proceedings of the Geologists's Association

"Well written, engaging, and accessible." - Geographical Journal

"The idea of the Ice Age is now entirely conventional, but it's an idea that took centuries to extract from the evidence around us. As Jamie Woodward's book shows, there was plenty of physics involved in developing the story." - IOPscience

"This is a truly comprehensive, highly accessible, and entertaining biography of Ice Age research." - Climatica

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction

Jamie Woodward

Very Short Introductions

Reading Guide

PDF download Download this VSI Reading Guide as an Adobe PDF (28 KB)

Questions for Thought and Discussion

Discuss the significance of the Adams Mammoth.
What was known about glaciers before 1837 and why did the glacial theory fail to generate much interest until Agassiz came on the scene?
Buckland was the first to recognise evidence for glaciation in Britain but this achievement is commonly overlooked. Why?
Assess Charles Darwin’s contribution to the glacial debate.
Why did it take the glacialists so long to defeat Lyell’s drift ice theory?
Why did the Penck and Brückner model of four glacials and four interglacials persist for so long?
Why did it take the geological establishment so long to accept the Milankovitch theory of climate change?
Study the transects shown in Figure 4. How useful are these as representations of Quaternary environmental change?
What does the oxygen isotope record from V28-238 tell us about ice sheet dynamics?
What is ice rafted debris (IRD)? What does it tell us about ice sheet history?
‘Why did the Earth’s climate change from hothouse to icehouse conditions during the course of the Cenozoic Era?
What are Heinrich layers? Are they a vindication of Lyell’s drift ice theory?
How did the ice core records change our understanding of Quaternary climate change?
Why were interglacials stressful times for Europe’s large herbivores?
What are refugia? Discuss their significance in Europe?
Is the present the key to the past?