This chapter sets the stage for a discussion on glacier vulnerability, explaining why it is important and how the author decided to become a cryoactivist (and work to protect the Earth’s frozen environment). It explains the basic relevance of glacier cover on the planet, glaciers’ general location by region of the Earth, and some of the most notorious characteristics of glaciers, their vulnerabilities, and the impacts caused by their accelerating melt, including sea level rise, glacier tsunamis, and ocean and atmospheric warming. The chapter also describes certain invisible subsurface glaciers in the little known and little understood periglacial environment. Finally, it outlines the rest of the book into its respective chapters and subject matter with a brief summary of each topic, covering sea level rise, water supply, albedo (reflectivity), gaseous emissions, glacier tsunamis, and ocean and air current warming, among others.
Resilience planning in hazards-humans-infrastructure nexus: A multi-agent simulation for exploratory assessment of coastal water supply infrastructure adaptation to sea-level rise
