The scientist will be forced, in the unenthusiastic words of one of my scientific colleagues, 'to slosh about in the primordial ooze known as inter-disciplinary studies'. John Passmore Man's responsibility for nature The present text has arisen from some thirteen years advances in our perception, appraisal and creative use of collaboration between the two authors. During that of order in natural systems. Out of this can come period, upwards of a dozen postgraduates in enhanced insight into processes, structures and Edinburgh, the New University of Ulster and Liver­ systems interactions on all temporal and spatial scales pool have been closely involved in exploring many of and at all integrative levels from subatomic to cosmic. the applications of magnetic measurements described In the environment, elements of order are often in the second half of the book. Much of the text is difficult to appraise and analyse, not only because of based on their work, both published and unpublished. intrinsic complexity, but as a consequence of our lack A great deal of the work summarised reflects extensive of techniques, instrumentation and suitable co-operation not only between the authors and among methodologies. Magnetic properties, whether natural their postgraduate groups, but also involving or induced, reflect forms of order which, in recent colleagues in geology, geography, ecology, hydrology, years, have become dramatically more accessible to a meteorology, glaciology, archaeology, limnology, growing range of instruments and techniques.