The Earth in Context

by Harland, David M.

• ISBN13: 9781852333751
• ISBN10: 1852333758
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

The Earth in Context: A Guide to the Solar System tells a tale of scientific discovery, with two interwoven strands - one tracing the development of understanding the Earth's geological history, and the other placing this in the context of processes at work on the other planets of the solar system. Although planetology is assigned half of the text, the primary focus of the book is the Earth. It is discussed in two parts, the first summing up our knowledge of the Earth as it is today and the other considering it as it was long ago.

Table of Contents

List of figures	xi
List of tables	xv
Foreword	xvii
Author's preface	xxi
Acknowledgements	xxv
Origin of the Solar System	1	(10)
Formation	1	(7)
Out there	8	(1)
Notes	8	(3)
Discovering the Earth	11	(32)
Geological time	11	(3)
Drifting continents	14	(4)
The sea floor	18	(5)
Sea floor spreading	23	(10)
Supercontinent cycles	33	(5)
Notes	38	(5)
The lure of the Moon	43	(26)
The astronomers	43	(2)
The photogeologists	45	(2)
The field geologists	47	(6)
Crustal formation	53	(4)
Whence came the moon?	57	(5)
The whole story	62	(1)
What next?	62	(2)
Notes	64	(5)
The Red Planet	69	(74)
Early studies	70	(3)
The first close look	73	(2)
Follow up	75	(2)
A global view	77	(2)
Volcanoes	79	(1)
Line of dichotomy	79	(3)
Valley networks	82	(1)
Craters	83	(1)
Basins	84	(1)
Cratering rates	85	(1)
Highland volcanism	86	(3)
Volcanic plains	89	(2)
Tharsis	91	(4)
Olympus	95	(3)
Elysium	98	(2)
Canyons	100	(1)
Outflow channels	101	(2)
On Mars	103	(3)
Pieces of Mars	106	(1)
Pathfinder	107	(3)
The core	110	(1)
Plate tectonics	111	(2)
The search for water	113	(4)
Oceanus Borealis?	117	(6)
Recent activity?	123	(3)
An open book	126	(1)
Notes	126	(17)
Mysterious Venus	143	(40)
Early observations	143	(5)
Radar	148	(1)
Close looks	149	(11)
A strange atmosphere	160	(2)
Ancient oceans?	162	(1)
An active surface	162	(13)
Notes	175	(8)
Ancient Mercury	183	(20)
Early observations	183	(1)
Mariner 10	184	(1)
Massive core	185	(3)
Physiography	188	(8)
Magnetic field	196	(1)
Exosphere	197	(1)
Since Mariner 10	197	(1)
Notes	197	(6)
Precambrian Earth	203	(32)
The basement	203	(1)
Canadian shield	204	(3)
Barberton Mountainland	207	(4)
Greenland	211	(2)
Superior province	213	(1)
Western Australia	214	(3)
Archean processes	217	(9)
The Hadean	226	(1)
The onset of plate tectonics	227	(1)
Notes	228	(7)
Giant Jupiter	235	(50)
Mr Galileo	235	(1)
Gas giant	236	(1)
Jupiter's moons	237	(3)
Asteroids	240	(2)
Pioneering deep space	242	(3)
Voyagers at Jupiter	245	(1)
Io	246	(16)
Europa	262	(9)
Ganymede	271	(4)
Callisto	275	(3)
The `free lunch'	278	(1)
Notes	279	(6)
Saturn's retinue	285	(24)
Ringed planet	285	(4)
A system of moons	289	(3)
Mimas	292	(1)
Enceladus	293	(1)
Tethys	294	(1)
Dione	295	(2)
Rhea	297	(1)
Titan	297	(2)
Hyperion	299	(1)
Iapetus	300	(1)
Phoebe	301	(1)
Moonlets	302	(2)
And then there was one	304	(1)
Notes	305	(4)
Planets beyond	309	(40)
`George's star'	309	(3)
Rings	312	(1)
Fly-bys	312	(1)
The green giant	313	(3)
Oberon	316	(1)
Titania	317	(1)
Umbriel and Ariel	318	(1)
Miranda	319	(4)
Ring erosion	323	(1)
The tilt	324	(1)
The discovery of Neptune	325	(3)
Neptune's moons	328	(1)
Neptune's rings	328	(1)
Final fly-by	329	(4)
Rings revealed	333	(1)
Triton	334	(4)
Mission accomplished	338	(1)
Distant Pluto	338	(4)
Ten?	342	(1)
Notes	343	(6)
Life and death	349	(34)
Dim Sun	349	(1)
Biogenesis	349	(5)
Extinctions	354	(5)
Cycles?	359	(3)
Violent planet	362	(9)
Dangerous environment	371	(6)
Notes	377	(6)
Appendix 1: Planetary data	383	(28)
Appendix 2: Space missions	411	(8)
Glossary	419	(26)
Index	445