Permafrost : A Guide to Frozen Ground in Transition

Davis brings his talent for communicating scientific concepts in an engaging and readable style to the topic of permafrost, the process of annual freezing and thawing that covers half of the land in the northern hemisphere. The soil's fluctuations affect everything from the stability of road surfaces to wildlife and human habitats, yet this critically important process is rarely discussed in language accessible to the range of people it affects. Davis' prose will entertain everyone from scientists and engineers to students and northerner residents: it belongs in the library of anyone with more than a passing interest in the colder regions of the world.

Neil Davis is emeritus professor of geophysics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Auroral studies using rocket, photographic and television techniques have been the main thrust of his scientific efforts at the University of Alaska, and with NASA, but he has worked in other fields as well, including seismology and radio communications. In 1976 he began a regular newspaper column illuminating aspects of science for the general public