Encyclopedia of the Antarctic

From "adaptation and evolution" to "zooplankton and krill," the 495 alphabetical entries in this encyclopedia assembled by Riffenburgh (Scott Polar Research Institute, U. of Cambridge, UK) provide a cross-disciplinary summary of the field of knowledge concerning the Antarctic. They range from short 500-word factual entries to longer 6,000-word thematic and analytical discussions. Thematically, the entries cover atmosphere and climate; birds; conservation and human impact; geography; geology; glaciology; history, exploration, and history of science; marine biology; marine mammals; oceanography; research programs, international organizations; and the Atlantic Treaty System; sea ice; solar-terrestrial physics and astronomy; technology and transport; and terrestrial biology and limnology. Each entry includes a list of references and further reading. Also included are 16 maps; an analytical index; and appendices providing the texts of the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, a list of treaty signatories, a chronology of Antarctic exploration, a list of Antarctic academic journals, a list of scientific research stations in the region as of the austral winter of 2005, and the SCAR Code of Conduct for Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes in Antarctica. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)