Earth

by Mathez, Edmond A.

• ISBN13: 9781565845954
• ISBN10: 1565845951
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: New Pr

Summary

Earth: Inside and Out is an exploration of how our planet works, the research into the diverse environments that support life on Earth, and the possibility of life beyond it, with essays by experts, profiles of historically significant scientists, and case studies about present-day researchers.

Table of Contents

Foreword	9	(10)
Ellen V. Futter
Acknowledgments	10	(2)
Preface: Earth: Inside and Out	12	(4)
Edmond A. Mathez
Section One: How Has the Earth Evolved?
Introduction	16	(4)
Edmond A. Mathez
An Earth Moon Mystery	20	(6)
Robert A. Fogel
Origin and Evolution of the Continents	26	(6)
Roberta L. Rudnick
Life and the Evolution of Earth's Atmosphere	32	(9)
Stephen J. Mojzsis
Case Study: Retrieving a Stromatolite from the Sahara Desert	41	(4)
Case Study: Zircon Chronology: Dating the Oldest Material on Earth	45	(4)
Profile: Arthur Holmes: Harnessing the Mechanics of Mantle Convection to the Theory of Continental Drift	49	(3)
Section Two: How Do Scientists Explore the Inner Earth?
Introduction	52	(4)
Edmond A. Mathez
Global Seismic Tomography: A Snapshot of Convection in the Earth	56	(6)
Robert D. van der Hilst
Convection in the Core and the Generation of the Earth's Magnetic Field	62	(6)
Gary A. Glatzmaier
Mantle Convection	68	(5)
Peter Bunge
Case Study: Ultra-High-Pressure Experimentalist Who Studies the Deep Earth	73	(4)
Profile: Inge Lehmann: Discover of the Earth's Inner Core	77	(3)
Section Three: Plate Tectonics in Action
Introduction	80	(4)
Edmond A. Mathez
The Structure of Mountain Ranges	84	(6)
Peter H. Molnar
Adverting Earthquake Surprises in the Pacific Northwest	90	(4)
Brian F. Atwater
Hawaii and Hotspots: A Window to the Deep Mantle	94	(6)
Steven L. Goldstein
The Hazards of Volcanoes	100	(5)
Haraldur Sigurdsson
Case Study: Forecasting Earthquakes Using Paleoseismology	105	(4)
Case Study: A Conversation with Jacques Malavieille	109	(4)
Profile: Harry Hess: One of the Discoverers of Seafloor Spreading	113	(3)
Section Four: How Do Scientists Read the Rocks?
Introduction	116	(2)
Edmond A. Mathez
The Erosion of the Grand Canyon	118	(6)
George Billingsley
Death Among the Dunes: A Dinosaur Murder Mystery	124	(5)
Lowell Dingus
David B. Loope
Case Study: Mapping Mt. Rainier	129	(4)
Profile: James Hutton: The Founder of Modern Geology	133	(3)
Section Five: What Causes Climate and Climate Change?
Introduction	136	(4)
Edmond A. Mathez
The Oceans' Role in Climate	140	(6)
Martin H. Visbeck
Predicting El Nino	146	(8)
Mark A. Cane
Global Warming	154	(6)
Charles F. Keller
An Ice Core Time Machine	160	(9)
Paul A. Mayewski
Case Study: Studying Tree Rings to Learn About Global Climate	169	(4)
Profile: Milutin Milankovitch: Seeking the Cause of the Ice Ages	173	(3)
Section Six: Why Is the Earth Habitable?
Introduction	176	(2)
Edmond A. Mathez
Earth: The Goldilocks Planet	178	(6)
Rachel Oxburgh
Black Smokers: Incubators on the Seafloor	184	(6)
Deborah S. Kelley
Resources of the Earth: Where Do Metals Come From?	190	(7)
James Webster
Case Study: Looking for Life in Antarctica ... and on Mars	197	(4)
Case Study: Mapping Hot Springs on the Deep Ocean Floor	201	(4)
Profile: Harold C. Urey: Discoverer of Deuterium and Investigator of the Origin of Life, the Origin of the Planets, and the Climate of the Early Earth	205	(2)
About the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth	207	(7)
Resources	214	(3)
About the American Museum of Natural History	217	(1)
Contributors	218	(5)
Credits	223	(3)
Glossary	226	(11)
Questions	237