The Earth System

by Lee R. Kump

The first book of its kind to address the issues of global change from a true Earth systems perspective, The Earth System offers a solid emphasis on lessons from Earth's history that may guide decision-making in the future. The authors' systems theory approach looks holistically at all that happens on Earth and the interactions of all that is here—such as the effect of weather on land, the effect of erosion on the ocean, the chemical changes that occur—and emphasizes that these processes do not happen in a vacuum. An emphasis on global change addresses such modern issues as global warming, ozone depletion, and biodiversity loss.A variety of boxed inserts address topical issues related to the material presented, giving readers appealing visual and highlighted aids.Global Change; An Introduction to Systems; Global Energy The Greenhouse Effect; The Atmospheric Circulation System; The Circulation of the Oceans; The Cryosphere; Circulation of the Solid Plate Tectonics; Recycling of the Elements; Focus on the Metabolism, Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Origin of the Earth and of Life; Effect of Life on the The Rise of Oxygen and Ozone; Long-Term Climate Regulation; Biodiversity Through Earth History; Pleistocene Glaciations; Global Warming, Part 1: The Scientific Evidence; Global Warming, Part 2: Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation; Ozone Depletion; Human Threats to Biodiversity; Climate Stability on Earth and Earth-Like Planets.A useful reference for anyone who wants to learn more about Earth processes to become a more well-informed consumer.

Genres: Science, Geology, Nonfiction, Academic, College

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 1999

Reviews

[Julia Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the past two terms, this was the textbook for my Earth Systems Science class, and, despite how dense it is, I feel like it was well written and has given me a pretty comprehensive view on how all of the different Earth systems interact with one another. The textbook touches on the atmosphere, the oceans, the cryosphere, the geosphere, and how life originated on Earth -- it really is fascinating.

My biggest complaint is how out-of-date the textbook is in relation to the final chapters on global warming. We read the third edition of the textbook for my class -- which was published in 2010 -- and so much has changed since then. I feel like a new edition is warranted to update these chapters in relation to how the state of climate change has advanced nearly 15 years after its initial publication.

There may be a new edition and my professor just didn't assign it for some reason -- if so, I would recommend picking that one up. Overall, this was very much a solid, foundational textbook.

[Nick Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our textbook for EAS1600 back in Fall 2003. Lots of good detail and coverage, although it'd have been difficult to synthesize the disparate material without our professor.

[Jennifer]

I only had to read a few for school, that is why I skipped through it. Very good text book though.

Last day of class today :)

[Marie Schuh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my Earth Dynamics and Systems class. It wasn't too awful for a textbook, but it wasn't great either.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5