This booklet contains resource material on cold climate phenomena and their influences on humans. It is intended for use by teachers and students in college-level geography courses as a supplement to existing textbooks and as a means of filling the gap between significant resources in geography and readily accessible materials. The material is presented in six chapters. Chapter I introduces the scope of the document and defines important terms. Chapter II focuses on various climatic characteristics, including annual temperature ranges and classifications of periglacial climates. Chapter III examines permafrost, with emphasis on its thermal characteristics, distribution, depth, origin, and associated features. Chapter IV investigates geomorphic processes (landscape evolution) in periglacial environments. Information is presented on frost action, patterned ground and mass wasting. In Chapter V, biologic processes involving periglacial soil, vegetation, and wildlife are explored. In the final chapter, the limitations and potentials of periglacial environments with regard to human living, engineering, and land use are explored. The ecology of polar regions is also examined. (DB)