| Contents |
Geology emerges as a science : European roots -- Geology emerges as a science : on the other side of the pond -- Geologic time : from an early geologic time scale -- Geologic time : measuring time and the nature of deep time -- Plate tectonics : history of the revolution in Earth sciences -- Plate tectonics : oceans, continents, plates, and how they interact -- Life on the Earth : evolution, extinctions, and biodiversity -- The biography of the Earth : the Precambrian story -- The biography of the Earth : Paleozoic Era -- The biography of the Earth : Mesozoic Era -- Biography of the Earth : Cenozoic Era -- The Earth's impact on life and life's impact on the Earth. |
| Abstract |
A loving portrayal of our precious planet that offers easy-to-grasp discussions of scientific concepts and detailed examinations of Earth's tectonic, biological, and paleontological forces... Did you know that the history of Earth can be revealed by examining everything on it? From the esoteric science of minerals to the interactions between humans and their environment, our planet provides answers to every question we could ask about its history and what lies ahead. As climate change impacts everything we do on our planet, now is the time to take a closer look at what messages Earth has for us: what does it mean when the wind blows or the ground shifts? In this book, geologist Elisabeth Ervin-Blankenheim reveals the history of our planet through a geologic lens and explains why everyone should care about it. Song of the Earth is a thrilling biography of our planet that equips readers with the scientific, historical, and philosophical symbiosis between humans and Earth. Ervin-Blankenheim explores geologic principles of deep time, plate tectonics, and change in life forms in plain English. The book is illustrated with striking maps, diagrams, and pictures, allowing her to dissect everything from how a roiling, molten planet cooled to how the first cyanobacteria began to oxygenate the atmosphere to how the atmosphere has changed over time. Ervin-Blankenheim journeys through the science with ease and provides narrative sections about pioneering geologists and their groundbreaking discoveries. In viewing the planet as the integrated ecosystem it is, Ervin-Blankenheim showcases how land, water, life, and the atmosphere maintain an elegant yet delicate balance-one that, based on the author's evidence of current trends in the context of past planetary cataclysm, appears to be under imminent threat. At times both gripping and lovingly poetic, Song of the Earth shows not only how Earth has influenced life, but also how life has distinctly shaped our planet.-- Source other than the Library of Congress. |
