Originally published in 2000, The Arctic provides a comprehensive overview of the region's rapidly changing physical and human dimensions, and demonstrates the importance of communication between natural scientists, social scientists, and local stakeholders in response to the tremendous challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic. It is an essential resource for all Arctic researchers, particularly those developing multidisciplinary projects. It provides an overview of key areas of Arctic research by renowned specialists in the field, and each chapter forms a detailed, varied and accessible account of current knowledge. Each author introduces the subject to a specialist readership, while retaining intellectual integrity and relevance for specialists. Overall, the richness of the material presented in this volume reflects the ecological and cultural diversity of this vast and environmentally critical part of the globe.

List of Figures List of Colour Illustrations List of Tables Contributors Foreword Map Introduction Part I: The Physical Structure and Processes of the Arctic 1. The Geological Development of the Arctic 2. Glaciology 3. Permafrost and Hydrology 4. Arctic Oceanography, Sea Ice and Climate 5. Upper Atmosphere Physics and Chemistry 6. The Weather and Climate of the Arctic Part II: Life Sciences in the Arctic 7. Marine Biology: Biomass Productivity Distributions and Their Variability in the Barents and Bering Seas 8. Ecology of Arctic Lakes and Rivers 9. Biodiversity of Terrestrial Ecosystems 10. Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Ecosystem Function 11. Arctic Medical Sciencem 12. Physical Anthropology of the Arctic Part III: Social and political Dimensions of the Arctic 13. Indigenous Peopls, Self-Determination and the Arctic Environment 14. The Social Anthropology of the Arctic 15. Arctic Geopolitics Then and Now 16. The Population of the Circumpolar North 17. The Political Economy of Renewable Resource Management in the Arctic Part IV: Anthropogenic Impacts on the Arctic Environment: Regional and Global Consequences and Policy Responses 18. Integrated Global Change Impact Assessments 19. Ozone Depletion and UV-B Radiation 20. Local and Transboundary Pollution 21. International Co-Operation in the Arctic Environment 22. Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations and Arctic Environmental Co-Operation Index