The Earth Machine: The Science of a Dynamic Planet

by Mathez, Edmond A.

• ISBN13: 9780231125796
• ISBN10: 0231125798
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-01
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr

Summary

From the scorching center of Earth's core to the outer limits of its atmosphere, from the gradual process of erosion that carved the Grand Canyon to the earth-shaking fury of volcanoes and earthquakes, this fascinating book -- inspired by the award-winning Hall of Planet Earth at New York City's American Museum of Natural History -- tells the story of the evolution of our planet and of the science that makes it work. With the same exuberance and expertise they brought to the creation of the Hall of Planet Earth, co-curators Edmond A. Mathez and James D. Webster offer a guided tour of Earth's dynamic, 4.6-billion-year history.Including numerous full-color photographs of the innovative exhibit and helpful, easy-to-understand illustrations, the authors explore the major factors in our planet's evolution: how Earth emerged from the swirling dusts of a nascent solar system; how an oxygen-rich, life-sustaining atmosphere developed; how continents, mountain ranges, and oceans formed; and how earthquakes and volcanic eruptions alter Earth's surface. Traversing geologic time and delving into the depths of the planet- -- beginning with meteorites containing minuscule particles that are the solar system's oldest known objects, and concluding with the unusual microbial life that lives on the chemical and thermal energy produced by sulfide vents in the ocean floor -- The Earth Machineprovides an up-to-date overview of the central theories and discoveries in earth science today. By incorporating stories of real-life fieldwork, Mathez and Webster explain how Earth is capable of supporting life, how even the smallest rocks can hold the key to explaining the formation of mountains, and how scientists have learned to read nature's subtle clues and interpret Earth's ever-evolving narrative.

Author Biography

James D. Webster is curator of mineral deposits in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
How Has Earth Evolved?	p. 1
The Birth of Planet Earth	p. 3
From Meteorites to Earth	p. 3
The Formation of the Moon	p. 8
Early Earth Organizes Itself	p. 8
The Emergence of an Atmosphere and an Ocean	p. 11
Learning the Age of Earth	p. 13
The Seeds of Doubt	p. 13
The Emergence of the Revolutionary Concept of an Old Earth	p. 15
Radioactivity and the Age of Earth	p. 19
The Evolution of the Continents	p. 23
Earth: The Only Planet with a Continental Crust	p. 25
The Continents and Continental Crust	p. 28
The First Continental Crust	p. 30
The Assembly of the Continents	p. 32
Life and Conditions on Early Earth	p. 36
Ancient Microbes	p. 37
Banded Iron Formations and Oxygenation of the Atmosphere and Ocean	p. 38
A Warm Early Earth?	p. 44
The Appearance of Animals and Explosion of Life in the Cambrian	p. 46
Reading Rocks: The Story of the Grand Canyon	p. 49
How Sedimentary Rocks Describe Ancient Environments	p. 51
Evidence of Missing Rock	p. 56
How Old Is the Grand Canyon?	p. 57
Why Are There Ocean Basins, Continents, and Mountains?	p. 63
Internal Earth	p. 65
The Core	p. 66
The Magnetic Field	p. 69
Convection in the Core and Origin of the Geomagnetic Field	p. 72
Earth's Internal Heat	p. 76
The Mantle	p. 78
Convection in the Mantle	p. 80
Plate Tectonics	p. 84
Continental Drift: An Idea Proposed Before Its Time	p. 85
Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift	p. 87
From Continental Drift to Plate Tectonics	p. 89
Plate Boundaries: Where the Action Is	p. 93
Plate Motions and Continental Reconstruction	p. 98
Lavas from the Depths of Earth	p. 99
Hawaii	p. 99
Kilauea Volcano	p. 102
Volcanoes of the Mid-Ocean Ridges	p. 106
Great Lava Floods and the Columbia River Basalts	p. 111
Great Explosive Volcanoes	p. 116
The Nature of Explosive Volcanism	p. 117
How Gases Drive Explosive Eruptions	p. 118
Vesuvius: The Anatomy of an Explosive Eruption	p. 121
Tambora: Volcanoes and Climate Change	p. 123
Krakatau: An Explosion that Reverberated Around the World	p. 127
Great Prehistoric Eruptions	p. 130
Granite	p. 133
Earthquakes	p. 137
Why Do Earthquakes Occur?	p. 138
How Earthquakes Are Measured	p. 139
How Earthquakes Destroy	p. 141
Fault Behavior and Calculating the Odds	p. 145
Short-term Prediction	p. 148
The San Andreas Fault Zone, California	p. 149
The Great Alaska Earthquake	p. 152
Mountains	p. 156
The Shape of Earth and Why Mountains Are High	p. 157
The Importance of Erosion	p. 160
The Folding of Rocks	p. 162
The Metamorphism of Rocks	p. 167
The Alps	p. 172
The Beginnings of Alpine Research	p. 173
The Formation and Structure of the Alps	p. 176
What Causes Earth's Climate and Climate Change?	p. 183
The Atmosphere	p. 185
The Structure of the Atmosphere	p. 185
Global Atmospheric Circulation	p. 188
Greenhouse Earth: The Troposphere Story	p. 190
Ozone: The Stratosphere Story	p. 193
The Importance of Clouds	p. 196
The World Ocean	p. 197
The Important Properties of Water	p. 197
Why Is the Ocean Salty?	p. 198
The Global Ocean Conveyor System	p. 200
Ocean Surface Currents	p. 202
Upwelling and Downwelling	p. 205
El Nino and La Nina	p. 205
The Geological Record of Climate Change	p. 209
Climate Forcing Factors	p. 209
The Climate Record in Greenland Ice	p. 212
Some Other Indicators of Past Climate	p. 219
The Ice Age	p. 223
Why Is Earth Habitable?	p. 227
Conditions for Life	p. 229
Water: The Essential Ingredient	p. 230
The Carbon Cycle	p. 233
Earth, Venus, and Mars	p. 239
Earth's Intangible Shields	p. 240
Black Smokers from the Deep	p. 242
How Hydrothermal Vent Fields Form	p. 244
Life at Hydrothermal Vents	p. 246
Did Life Originate in Deep-Sea Vents?	p. 250
Heat and Water: What Goes In, and What Goes Out	p. 254
Some Natural Resources and How They Form	p. 255
What Salt, Gold, and Coal Have in Common	p. 256
Ore Deposits from Hot Water	p. 260
An Ancient Analogue of Black Smokers	p. 265
Ore Deposits from Magmas	p. 267
Notes	p. 273
Glossary	p. 299
Bibliography	p. 305
Index	p. 327
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