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.