At last, an undergraduate textbook integrating the geophysics, geochemistry, and petrology of the Earth to explain plate tectonics and geodynamics.

Textbook for IB Diploma Geography covering Standard Level and Higher Level Options for Paper 1 examinations.

For generations, the ground beneath the feet of our ancestors seemed solid and unchanging. Around 30 years ago, two things happened that were to revolutionize the understanding of our home planet. First, geologists realized that the continents themselves were drifting across the surface of the globe and that oceans were being created and destroyed. Secondly, pictures of the entire planet were returned from space. As the astronomer Fred Hoyle had predicted, this 'let loose an idea as powerful as any in history'. Suddenly, the Earth began to be viewed as a single entity; a dynamic, interacting whole, controlled by complex processes we scarcely understood. It began to seem less solid. As one astronaut put it, 'a blue jewel on black velvet; small, fragile and touchingly alone'. Geologists at last were able to see the whole as well as the detail; the wood as well as the trees. This book brings their account up to date with the latest understanding of the processes that govern our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The relationship between social thought and earth processes is in its infancy. This book offers to make good the defect by exploring how human induced changes impact upon planetary processes.

New technologies has given us many different ways to examine the Earth. For example, we can penetrate deep into the interior of our planet and effectively X-ray its internal structure. With this technology comes an increased awareness of how our planet is continually changing and a fresh awareness of how fragile it is. Designed for the introductory Physical Geology course found in Geology, Earth Science, Geography, or Physical Science departments, Dynamic Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology clearly presents Earth's dynamic geologic systems with their many interdependent and interconnected components. It provides comprehensive coverage of the two major energy systems of Earth: the plate tectonic system and the hydrologic cycle. The text fulfills the needs of professors by offering current content and a striking illustration package, while exposing students to the global view of Earth and teaching them to view the world as geologists.

Presents the online edition of the publication "This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics" (ISBN 0-16-048220-8) by W. Jacquelyne Kious and Robert I. Tilling, published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado. Posts contact information via mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail. Notes that a hard copy of the publication is available. Provides a table of contents and endnotes. Links to the USGS home page.

This book views Mercury as a whole in the context of its environment. It illustrates what we know and what we need to know, and why understanding Mercury is so crucial to our understanding of solar system origin and current processes on Earth. The book describes our current state of knowledge for Mercury and interactions between interior, exterior, and space environment which are highly dynamic and thus critical to understanding Mercury as a system.