Traces of Time The Beauty of Change in Nature

by Neill, William; Murphy, Pat; Ackerman, Diane; Doherty, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780811828574
• ISBN10: 0811828573
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Chronicle Books

Summary

Nature tells stories that unfold over time, and the evidence is all around us--in the shape of a rugged coastline, in the growth of a tree's rings, in the beautiful banded strata of an ice cave. The latest book from The Exploratorium, San Francisco's acclaimed hands-on science museum, combines William Neill's award-winning photography with accessible scientific observation to illuminate an ever-changing world. Examining nature in segments of time ranging from a fraction of a second to millions of years, from the bloom of a plant to the carving of a canyon, Traces of Time reveals how to measure the forces of nature and the ways they affect our planet. A powerful portrait of the natural beauty of our world, this gorgeous blending of art, science, and photography offers a new perspective to anyone who has ever gazed at the world in wonder.

Author Biography

Pat Murphy -- senior writer and editor of the Exploratorium Quarterly for over a decade -- is also an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. She lives in San Francisco.

Paul Doherty is currently senior scientist at the Exploratorium Center for Teaching and Learning.

William Neill is a renowned landscape photographer and winner of the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award for nature photography.

Diane Ackerman is the author of A Natural History of the Senses and A Natural History of Love as well as a host of her own televsions series.

Table of Contents

Foreword	8	(4)
Drane Ackerman
Introduction	12	(7)
Pat Murphy
Year by Year	19	(21)
The Passing Centuries	40	(22)
Tens of Thousands of Years on Ice	62	(22)
Once Upon a Time, Millions of Years Ago	84	(28)
Afterword	112	(1)
William Neill
Technical Notes	113	(1)
William Neill
Photography and Illustration Credits	114	(3)
Acknowledgments	117	(1)
Suggested Reading	118	(1)
Index	119