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A captivating guide to the past, present and future of 'the amazing crystal' that plays a vital role in regulating our planet. Peter Wadhams is Professor of Ocean Physics at Cambridge University and the world's leading expert on sea ice, having made 45 journeys to polar regions during his professional life. A Farewell to Ice examines the natural properties of sea ice, explaining how it is able to act as an air and water cooling system for our oceans. It gives a brief history of ice on our planet and explains what is happening to it now. Using the latest research from the Arctic Ocean he shows that change is occurring much faster than previously predicted, and that in the near future the North Pole is likely to be ice-free for the first time in history.
Peter Wadhams is Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and is now Professor of Oceanography, having also served as a Senior Research Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge from 1983 to 1993. He made his first visit to the Arctic on board the HM submarine Oracle in 1971, and has since made forty-four further journeys. In 1987, he was awarded the Polar Medal by the Queen.
"Astonishing [...] beautiful, compelling and terrifying"
– Observer
"Wadhams' writing sparkles [...] a lyrical sense of wonder at the natural world [...] essential reading [...] may be the best reader-friendly account of the greenhouse effect available to date"
– John Burnside, New Statesman
"This most experienced and rational scientist states what so many other researchers privately fear but cannot publicly say"
– John Vidal, Guardian
"Wadhams brings huge expertise to his subject – and he is an excellent writer"
– Martin Rees
"Utterly extraordinary"
– Jonathon Porritt
