Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. List of Participants. Color Plates. Biology. 1. Glacier Ecosystem and Biological Ice Core Analysis; S. Kohshima, et al. 2. Isolation and Identification of Bacteria from Ancient and Modern Ice Cores; B.C. Christner, et al. 3. Perspectives for DNA Studies on Polar Ice Cores; A.J. Hansen, E. Willerslev. Climate and Paleoclimate. 4. Meteorological and Climatological Aspects of the Southern Patagonia Icefield, Patagonia; J.F. Carrasco, et al. 5. Western Patagonia: A Key Area for Understanding Quaternary Paleoclimate at Southern Mid-Latitudes; P.I. Moreno. 6. Late Pleistocene and Holocene Glacier Fluctuations in the Mendoza Andes, Argentina; L.E. Espiza. Glaciology. 7. Current Knowledge of the Southern Patagonia Icefield; G. Casassa, et al. 8. The Southern Patagonia Icefield Mass Balance; J.C. Leiva. 9. Glacier Mass Balance and Climate in the South American Andes; G. Kaser. 10. Ice Thickness Measurements on the Southern Patagonia Icefield; A. Rivera, G. Casassa. Ice Coring. 11. Locating a Drilling Site on the Patagonian Icefield; N. Gundestrup. 12. On the Potential to Retrieve Climatic and Environmental Information From Ice Core Sites Suffering Periodical Melt, with Specific Assessment of the Southern Patagonia Icefield; V. Pohjola. 13. Argentine Program on Climate and Environmental Studies by Means of Ice Cores; A.J. Aristarain. 14. Firn-Core Drilling Operational at Tyndall Glacier, Southern Patagonia Icefield; M.-A. Godoi, et al. 15.First Results of a Palaeoatmospheric Chemistry and Climate Study of Cerro Tapado Glacier, Chile; P. Ginot, et al. 16. Interpreting Climate Signals from a Shallow Equatorian Core: Antisana, Ecuador; M.W. Williams, et al. 17. Potential Application of Methodologies for Studying Atmospheric Aerosols, in the Study of Climatic and Environmental Information from Ice Cores; M. Prndez. Appendix. Glossary. Index.