GLACIERS AND THE CHANGING EARTH SYSTEM: A 2004 SNAPSHOT

7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 10 Areas and Volumes 10 Total Area 10 Area Distribution 11 Ice Thicknesses and Volumes 12 Mass Balance 13 Global Compilation of Mass Balances 14 Mass Balance Results 17 Current Impacts of Glacier Wastage on Sea Level 20 Glacier-Climate Interactions 22 Glaciers as Indicators of Climatic Change 22 Impact on the Earth’s Gravitational Field 28 Glacier Hydrology and its Impact on Ocean Salinity 29 Glacier Impact on the World Ocean 29 Glacier Meltwater Flux to the Arctic Ocean 30 Glaciers in High-mountain Regions 34 Other Effects of Glaciers on the Environment 34 Large-scale Glacier-induced Events 34 Iceberg Calving 35 Ice Recession 36 Glacier Hazards 36 Conclusions and Recommendations 37