This book is a celebration of the disappearing world of ice and snow, or what scientists know as The Cryosphere. Although frozen water represents a significant component of Planet Earth, it is rapidly declining, both in area and volume in response to global warming. The next few generations of humanity will see unprecedented change in ice and snow cover, so now is the time to place on record the magical beauty of such areas.
The two authors have each studied glaciers for half a century, both as researchers and educators. We have had the opportunity to work in both polar regions, as well as several of the world-s major mountain ranges. They examine ice and snow on all scales, from the mighty glaciers and ice sheets that still cover ten per cent of Earth-s land surface to frozen puddles and fluffy snow. We illustrate how a myriad of snowflakes are transformed into glacier ice, which then flows under the influence of gravity, and finally disappears through melting. They illustrat
