Glaciers respond to both pronounced and subtle changes in climate.
They are, then, a natural point of departure for one interested in understanding the climate system on earth and its history. Glacial ice itself also holds important information on past climates, and it may provide humans with the keys to decipher the implications of changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, changes in vegetation patterns on land, and changes in temperature and circulation patterns in the oceans. I intend to use glaciers as a window to understanding the earth's climate. We will begin by examining the morphology, kinematics, and dynamics of glacier systems. We will then consider how glaciers sculpt the land surface and deposit rock debris.