While various volumes havepreviously been de- bable, answer to this
question lies in the obser- vation that while whitecaps are some of the
voted to such topics as droplets and bubbles, it is our conceit that
this is the first volume dedi- most apparent features associated with
high sea cated to the description of the phenomenon states, they have
also pro\ed to be someofthe of oceanic whitecapping, and to a
considera- most difficult objects to measure and describe tion of the
role these whitecapsplay in satellite quantitatively, and while
scientists as a group marine remote sensing, in sea-salt aerosol gene-
may like to tackle difficult problems, we ration, and in a broad range
ofother sea surface should not be accused ofundue modesty when
processes. This observation, reOecting in part we observe that as a
group we also have a finite the relatively modest attention paid until
re- tolerance for frustration and ahuman, perhaps cently by the
scientific community to white- aesthetic, prejudice in favour ofnatural
pheno- caps, is noteworthy when one considers that mena that are
amcnable to detailed description. collectively whitecaps are to
thegeneral public It is appropriate to note that Professor Wood- one of
the most striking features of the sea- cock, to whom this volume is
dedicated, ap- scape.