Arctic climate impact assessment.

Commissioned by the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum comprising the eight Arctic nations, this eight-pound tome provides a comprehensive and authoritative synthesis of observed and projected changes in climate and ultraviolet radiation, and the impacts of those changes on ecosystems and human activities in the Arctic. The volume also reviews gaps in knowledge and the research required to fill those gaps. An international team of over 300 scientists, other experts, and knowledgeable members of indigenous communities prepared this assessment over a five-year period. They drew on the available literature rather than undertaking new research. In addition to an introduction to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment and a concluding summary and synthesis, 16 chapters cover such topics as past and present Arctic climate, cryosphere and hydrosphere, marine systems, and human health. The level of detail in each chapter reflects the prodigious efforts of highly qualified people; the chapters provide extensive documentation. An abundance of excellent multicolored maps and graphs, as well as very detailed summary tables, enhance this work. Appendixes cover chapter authors, biographies, reviewers, species names, acronyms, and a glossary. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and above. E. J. Kormondy emeritus, University of Hawaii at Hilo