Ian Francis grew up near Loweswater, in the northwest Lake District. Having gained his degree and PhD in geology at Oxford, he worked for several years in Australia, before returning to the UK to commission earth science books at Blackwell (later Wiley-Blackwell). He lives in Maryport, on the Cumbrian coast.

Stuart Holmes is a self-taught photographer from Keswick in the northern Lake District, specializing in landscape and adventure sports photography. Using a paraglider to take aerial photographs enables Stuart to capture landscapes from new perspectives, highlighting features that may not be obvious from the ground.

Bruce Yardley is Emeritus Professor in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, where he taught geology and geochemistry for 30 years. He has written 8 academic books, published over 130 research papers, served as Science Secretary of the Geological Society and President of the Mineralogical Society.