Field Guide to Snow Crystals By Edward R. LaChapelle

Anyone who have ever scooped up a handful of snow and looked closely at the individual crystals of which it is composed will want to own this book, the first field guide designed to explain to snow rangers, serious students, skiers, mountaineers, and nature lovers what can.actually be seen with the naked eye or a small hand lens.

The book begins with a clear description of the types of snow crystals, how they are formed, and how they change after they have been de-posited, and explains the various systems of classification that have been developed. A secton on snow crystal observation and photography deals with techniques and equipment for use both in the field and in the cold laboratory.

Of greatest interest is the series of almost fifty photographs, of great beauty and clarity, taken by the author and described and discussed in detail, including a number that illustrate the metamorphism of crystals under various conditions of duration, pressure, and tem-perature.

Edward R. LaChapelle, Professor Emeritus of Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington, worked on avalanche research for the United States Forest Service for almost two decades. His recognition that the very large natural variation in snow crystal forms played an important role in avalanche formation led indirectly to the original edition of Field Guide to Snow Crystals