Glacier: Nature and Culture

Peter Knight is a reader in geography at Keele University in the English Midlands and has published papers and books dealing with glacial geomorphology and geology; in fact, I contributed to one of his books. However, this book is decidedly much more than a textbook on glaciers, and as Knight states at the beginning of chapter 1, “Precisely defined for the scientist, a metaphor and an icon for the poet, glaciers for each of us have their own place in our view of the world.” This book is part of “The Earth” series, which has the goal of bringing together science, art, and religion. Although it deals with many aspects that would be included in a textbook on glacial processes, this book also includes chapters on a variety of ways in which glaciers (and ice sheets) have influenced poets and artists as well as how they are perceived by members of First Nations. Glaciers and ice sheets not only have a present-day impact but, in many areas, the past influence of large expanded ice sheets is present in terms of both landforms and glacially derived sediments. Even in those areas of the world well removed from their past presence, these changes are also evident in terms of major changes in climate and sea level. The volume is lavishly illustrated by many color images of glaciers and ice fields from around the world, including several satellite images.

Knight thoughtfully documents the past and present importance of the cryosphere on our landscapes, but he also is at pains to include the events of the last two decades or so and the possible impact that the rapid changes in glaciers and ice sheets will have on communities that rely on them for water or power and also on coastal areas that might be impacted by rising relative sea levels. These issues are captured in chapters 5 and 6, titled “Glaciers and the Big Global System” and “Glacier Economics: Hazards, Resources, Politics,” and in chapter 10, “Glaciers and the Future.”

The role that glaciers have played in the arts and culture are well described in chapter 7, “Glaciers in Art”; chapter 8, “Glacier Stories and Songs … Once upon a Glacier”; and chapter 9, which deals with “Adventure, Exploration, Inspiration.” It is these chapters that set this volume apart from being a textbook on glaciers, and for many of us who are in that field, we can also relate to the these “nonscientific” but nevertheless real values. In broadening the vision of glaciers, Peter Knight has contributed a series of chapters that can be enjoyed at a variety of levels and by a wide range of readers.