Earth S Evolving Systems

Earth's Evolving Systems: The History Of Planet Earth Is Intended As An Introductory Text That Examines The Evolution Of The Earth And Its Life From A Systems Point Of View. The Text Covers Major Topics Like The Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, And Biosphere, And Discusses How These Systems Interacted With Each Other And Evolved Through Geologic Time. The Author Takes Care To Integrate The Current State Of Our Earth Systems With Those Of The Past In An Effort To Develop Students' Interests In Earth System In General. It Begins With By Examining The Basics Of Earth Systems, Including Discussions Of Sedimentation, Evolution, Stratigraphy, And Plate Tectonics. Part Two Looks At The Beginning Of Time With The Origin Of The Earth And Discusses Its Early Evolution, Through The Origin Of Life And Its Evolution To Multiculluraity. The Third Section Goes On To Cover The Paleozoic Through The Neogene Eras, Discussing Topics Such As Tectonics, Mountain Building, Sea Level, Climate, Life, And Mass Extinctions In Each Era. The Final Part Moves On To The Modern World, Discussing The Interactions Between Humans And Earth Systems, With An Emphasis On The Climatic System. Key Features Of Earth's Evolving System: - Presents The Earth As A Continuously Evolving And Dynamic Planet Whose History Consists Of A Succession Of Vastly Different Worlds Very Much Unlike Our Modern Earth. - Discusses The Scientific Method In Chapter 1, Emphasizing How Historical Geology Differs From The Standard "Scientific Method" Presented As The Paradigm Of Experimental Sciences And Of All Science. - Bridges Traditional Historical Geology Texts By Discussing Historical Information In The Context Of The Interaction And Integration Of Earth Systems Through Geologic Time By Using The Tectonic (Wilson) Cycle As A Unifying Theme. - Concentrates On North America But Offers A Global Perspective On Earth Systems On Processes Such As Orogenesis, Seaways, And Ocean Circulation, The Evolution Of Life, And Mass Extinction. - Discusses Rapid Climate Change And Anthropogenic Impacts In The Context Of A Continuously Evolving Earth Whose Environments Are Now Being Altered By Anthropogenic Climate Change. - End-Of-Chapter Materials Include: General Review Questions, More Challenging "Food For Thought" Questions, Key Terms Listing, And A "Sources And Further Readings" Section. - Boxes Throughout The Text Highlight Interesting Bits Of Related Information, Unusual Occurrences, Or Elaborates On Material Presented In The Text

Earth’s Evolving Systems: The History of Planet Earth, Second Edition is an introductory text designed for popular courses in undergraduate Earth history. Written from a “systems perspective,” it provides coverage of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, and discussion of how those systems interacted over the course of geologic time.

Earth’s Evolving Systems: The History of Planet Earth, Second Edition is an introductory text designed for popular courses in undergraduate Earth history. Written from a “systems perspective,” it provides coverage of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, and discussion of how those systems interacted over the course of geologic time.

Kent C. Condie

Earth is, to our knowledge, the only life-bearing body in the Solar System. This extraordinary characteristic dates back almost 4 billion years. How to explain that Earth is teeming with organisms and that this has lasted for so long? What makes Earth different from its sister planets Mars and Venus? The habitability of a planet is its capacity to allow the emergence of organisms. What astronomical and geological conditions concurred to make Earth habitable 4 billion years ago, and how has it remained habitable since? What have been the respective roles of non-biological and biological characteristics in maintaining the habitability of Earth? This unique book answers the above questions by considering the roles of organisms and ecosystems in the Earth System, which is made of the non-living and living components of the planet. Organisms have progressively occupied all the habitats of the planet, diversifying into countless life forms and developing enormous biomasses over the past 3.6 billion years. In this way, organisms and ecosystems "took over" the Earth System, and thus became major agents in its regulation and global evolution. There was co-evolution of the different components of the Earth System, leading to a number of feedback mechanisms that regulated long-term Earth conditions. For millennia, and especially since the Industrial Revolution nearly 300 years ago, humans have gradually transformed the Earth System. Technological developments combined with the large increase in human population have led, in recent decades, to major changes in the Earth's climate, soils, biodiversity and quality of air and water. After some successes in the 20th century at preventing internationally environmental disasters, human societies are now facing major challenges arising from climate change. Some of these challenges are short-term and others concern the thousand-year evolution of the Earth's climate. Humans should become the stewards of Earth.

The gravity data, after some assumptions, could be a source of information about the density distribution in the mantle. This is of special value because the density distribution is included directly in the equation of motion for fluid.