Page 25 - Geosystems An Introduction to Physical Geography 4th Canadian Edition

Preface xxi
good fortune to have been taught and advised by Brian McCann during my time at McMaster University. Mary- Lou completed her Ph.D. while I was in the B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs at McMaster; we were both supervised by Brian for our thesis research on coastal sand dunes.
To Yvonne, my parents, and my colleagues in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s University, thank you all for your support over the years.
Whether you are taking this course as a requirement for your major or as an elective, I hope this textbook will help you find pleasure as you develop a better under- standing of the physical environment. Robert, Ginger, Mary-Lou, and I each have a deep passion for this subject and one of the goals of this book is to inspire the same passion in you, our readers.
From all of us: Physical geography teaches us a holis- tic view of the intricate supporting web that is Earth’s environment and our place in it. Dramatic global change is underway in human–Earth relations as we alter physical, chemical, and biological systems. Our attention to cli- mate change science and applied topics is in response to the impacts we are experiencing and the future we are shaping. All things considered, this is a critical time for
you to be enrolled in a physical geography course! The best to you in your studies—and carpe diem!
Robert W. Christopherson
P. O. Box 128
Lincoln, California 95648-0128 E-mail: bobobbe@aol.com
Ginger H. Birkeland
Arizona State
Mary-Louise Byrne
Geography and Environmental Studies Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario
N2L 3C5
E-mail: mlbyrne@wlu.ca
Philip Giles
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Saint Mary’s University Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 3C3
E-mail: philip.giles@smu.ca