Climate forcing of geological hazards - Bill McGuire

Climate Forcing of Geological Hazards provides a valuable new insight into how climate change is able to influence, modulate and trigger geological and geomorphological phenomena, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and landslides; ultimately increasing the risk of natural hazards in a warmer world. Taken together, the chapters build a panorama of a field of research that is only now becoming recognized as important in the context of the likely impacts and implications of anthropogenic climate change. The observations, analyses and interpretations presented in the volume reinforce the idea that a changing climate does not simply involve the atmosphere and hydrosphere, but also elicits potentially hazardous responses from the solid Earth, or geosphere.

Climate Forcing of Geological Hazards is targeted particularly at academics, graduate students and professionals with an interest in environmental change and natural hazards. As such, we are hopeful that it will encourage further investigation of those mechanisms by which contemporary climate change may drive potentially hazardous geological and geomorphological activity, and of the future ramifications for society and economy.

Bill McGuire is Professor of Geophysicaland Climate Hazards at University College London. In 2005 he was a member of the UK Government's Natural Hazards Working Group, established in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami, and in 2010 was part of the Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, set up to address the ash problem associated with the Icelandic Eyjafjallajkull eruption. He is a contributing author of the 2012 IPCC report on climate change and extreme events.

Mark Maslin isProfessor of Palaeoclimatology and Climate Change at University College London. He is a leading scientist with particular expertise in past and future global and regional climatic change and has published over 120 papers in journals such as Science, Nature, and Geology. He is a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Scholar and currently holds a Royal Society Industrial Fellowship.

"Overall, this publication should be on the bookshelf of geologists, physical geographers, hydrologists, ecologists, environmental scientists, politicians, and anyone interested or involved in climate change. The wealth of concise information makes it an excellent reference for teaching the interdisciplinary aspects of environmental science and climate change." (Int. J. Environment and Pollution, 1 October 2013)

"Further, this book convincingly demonstrates the need for greater inclusion of the geoscience research community in discussions on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning." (Geological Journal, 25 February 2014)

"I heartily recommend this book. We all have a stake in surviving climate change." (International Journal of Environmental Studies, 20July 2013)

"There is useful and interesting material in the book, very much worthy of attention…" (Geology Today, 1 May 2013)