Earth as an Evolving Planetary System

by Kent C. Condie

Earth as an Evolving Planetary System is based on Kent Condie’s classic text, Plate Tectonics and Crustal Evolution, which has been revamped and renamed in order to reflect a new emphasis on the evolving interactions of the Earth’s systems. This revised volume synthesizes data from the fields of geophysics, oceanography, planetology, and geochemistry. It features new chapters on the Earth’s core, biotic systems, and the supercontinent cycle and mantle plume events. It contains expanded treatment of the evolution of the Earth’s crust and mantle, carbon cycle, oxygenation of the atmosphere, and the significance of sulfur isotope fractionation. It also includes new information on mass extinctions and catastrophic events over the last four billion years that have transformed the atmosphere, oceans, and life on Earth. By integrating results from many different disciplines, this important text gives students a broader perspective of the Earth Sciences and shows how specialized data contribute to Earth and planetary history. This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and scientists in other disciplines who want to look at the Earth with a broader perspective. * New insight on interaction and evolution of Earth system
* Examines the role of castrophic events in Earth's history
* New section on the evolution of the mantle

Hardcover

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Mike Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dense, but information-packed history of the long history of our planet, focused on the geology and interactions with the biosphere.

If you read Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and want more, maybe try "The Earth" by Richard Fortey or Prothero's textbook "Evolution of the Earth". If you read those, and still want to go deeper, than this might just be the book for you. Try to find a larger-dimension version - the version I own is a seriously shrunken edition that loses some of the value of the extensive graphics.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good title for this book would be "Introductory Advanced Macrogeology"