A Field Guide to Snow - (Snowy Owl) by Matthew Sturm (Paperback)

About the Book

"Over my career I have led more than 30 snow expeditions, taught snow science in the classroom at the undergraduate and graduate level, and run more than a dozen field method classes all over the U.S. In the field with my students, we have worked shoulder-to-shoulder in snow pits measuring the density, grain size, and stratigraphy of the snow pack. In that setting I have tried to teach people how to read in the snow the story of the winter. Most beginners at first have trouble seeing the story: it is all just white and the same. But with time, and a little guidance, the winter world has opened up for them. That is what this book is about: just a little guidance for those who might not get a chance to dig a snow pit with me, but who want to know more about the snow"--

Book Synopsis

People love snow. They love to ski and sled on it, snowshoe through it, and watch it fall from the sky. They love the way it blankets a landscape, making it look tranquil and beautiful. Few people, however, know how snow works. What makes it possible for us to slip and slide over, whether that's falling on sidewalks or skiing down a mountain? What makes it cling to branches and street signs? What qualities of snow lead to avalanches?

In A Field Guide to Snow, veteran snow scientist Matthew Sturm answers those questions and more. Drawing on decades of study, he explains in clear and simple ways how and why snow works the way it does. The perfect companion a ski trip or a hike in the snowy woods, A Field Guide to Snow will give you a new appreciation for the science behind snow's beauty.

About the Author

Matthew Sturm is professor of geophysics at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks and the leader of the Snow-Ice-Permafrost Group at the Institute, the author of three books, and a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.