Earth

Fully updated, this new edition provides a uniquely interdisciplinary overview of Earth's history and evolution for Earth science undergraduates.

Jonathan I. Lunine (Author)

9780521615198, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 8 April 2013

327 pages, 80 b/w illus. 10 colour illus. 10 tables 100 exercises
27.3 x 21.5 x 1.7 cm, 0.96 kg

'I marvelled at the huge scope of science, and the amount of integration of different fields that astrobiologists have achieved. This book would be extremely useful to anyone with gaps in their astrobiology knowledge; if the book does not completely fill them, it will certainly point you to other sources that can. … It is a mine of treasure in references and scientific leads, and it also highlights areas that are not yet fully understood, where more research can be undertaken. I definitely recommend it to all who want to know more about how we can study astrobiology, and also to the nonmathematical, for while we do meet a few equations and methods, they are kept as simple as possible.' Alice Sheppard, Astrobiology Society of Britain (www.astrobiologysociety.org)

Fully updated throughout, including revised illustrations and new images from NASA missions, this new edition provides an overview of Earth's history from a planetary science perspective for Earth science undergraduates. Earth's evolution is described in the context of what we know about other planets and the cosmos at large, from the origin of the cosmos to the processes that shape planetary environments and from the origins of life to the inner workings of cells. Astronomy, Earth science, planetary science and astrobiology are integrated to give students the whole picture of how the Earth has come to its present state and an understanding of the relationship between key ideas in different fields. The book presents concepts in nontechnical language and mathematical treatments are avoided where possible. New end-of-chapter summaries and questions allow students to check their understanding and critical thinking is emphasized to encourage students to explore ideas scientifically for themselves.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. The Astronomical Planet: 1. An introductory tour of Earth's cosmic neighbourhood
2. Largest and smallest scales
3. Forces and energy
4. Fusion, fission, sunlight, and element formation
Part II. The Measurable Planet: Tools to Discern the History of Earth and the Planets: 5. Determination of cosmic and terrestrial ages
6. Other uses of isotopes for Earth history
7. Relative age dating of cosmic and terrestrial events: the cratering record
8. Relative age dating of terrestrial events: geologic layering and geologic time
9. Plate tectonics: an introduction to the process
Part III. The Historical Planet: Earth and Solar System through Time: 10. Formation of the solar system
11. The Hadean Earth
12. The Archean eon and the origin of life: i. Properties of and sites for life
13. The Archean eon and the origin of life: ii. Mechanisms
14. The first greenhouse crisis: the faint early sun
15. Climate histories of Mars and Venus, and the habitability of planets
16. Earth in transition: from the Archean to the Proterozoic
17. The oxygen revolution
18. The Phanerozoic: flowering and extinction of complex life
19. Climate change across the Phanerozoic
20. Toward the age of humankind
Part IV. The Once and Future Planet: 21. Climate change over the past 100,000 years
22. Human-induced global warming
23. Limited resources: the human dilemma
24. Coda: the once and future Earth
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Geology & the lithosphere [RBG], Earth sciences [RB], Cosmology & the universe [PGK], Astronomy, space & time [PG]