Song of the Earth : understanding geology and why it matters / Elisabeth Ervin-Blankenheim.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ervin-Blankenheim, Elisabeth, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Geology.

Earth (Planet)--History.

Earth (Planet).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (369 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Oxford University Press, [2021]

Summary:

Song of the Earth is a gripping and lovingly poetic biography of Earth. The book includes narrative sections about the lives of pioneering geologists, the reality and sublimity of geologic time, the rebirth and destruction of our planet over time, and the underlying science that influences climate change and species extinction.

Contents:

cover

Song of the Earth

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Why Geology?

1. Geology Emerges as a Science: European Roots

European Scientific Geological Developments

Nicolaus Steno

James Hutton

Abraham Werner

Etheldred Benett

William "Strata" Smith

William Buckland

Charles Lyell

Mary Anning

Louis Agassiz in Europe

Early French Geologists

2. Geology Emerges as a Science: On the Other Side of the Pond

American Scientific Geological Developments

Louis Agassiz in the United States

James Dwight Dana

Sir John William Dawson

John Wesley Powell

Clarence King

Florence Bascom

3. Geologic Time: From an Early Geologic Time Scale

The Age of the Earth: Geologic Time

About the Time Scale of the Earth: Ordering of Events through Relative Age-​Dating

Development of the Geologic Time Scale

Abraham Werner and an Early Geologic Time Scale

Expansion of the Time Scale of Geology

Periods of the Paleozoic Era

Periods of the Mesozoic Era

Periods of the Cenozoic Era

Geologic Eras

Measuring Time: The Final Frontier

4. Geologic Time: Measuring Time and the Nature of Deep Time

Quantifying Time: Numerical Dating

Radioactivity and Isotopes: History and Use in Geology

The Present Geologic Time Scale

Mapping the Geologic Time Scale

Deep Time: A New Orientation to Geologic Time

5. Plate Tectonics: History of the Revolution in Earth Sciences

How the Crust of the Earth Moves: Overview of Plate Tectonics

Setting the Stage for Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Eduard Suess and His Tectonics

Antarctic Exploration, the Terra Nova Expedition, and Plate Tectonics

Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift

Data for Continental Drift

Mechanisms for Continental Drift: Early Ideas.

Post-​World War II Exploration of the Ocean Floor: A Unified Theory of Plate Tectonics

6. Plate Tectonics: Oceans, Continents, Plates, and How They Interact

Plate Tectonics Theory

Divergent Plate Boundaries

Convergent Plate Boundaries

Transform Plate Boundaries

Hotspots and Diffuse Boundary Zones

Diffuse Boundaries

Unknown or Speculative Boundaries

Consequences of Plate Tectonics

Past and Present Tectonics

Tying It All Together

7. Life on the Earth: Evolution, Extinctions, and Biodiversity

Development and Change of Life on the Earth: Evolution and Natural Selection

Charles Darwin, the Journey of HMS Beagle, and Natural Selection

Fossils and Preservation of Ancient Life

The Historical "Bone Wars" of Marsh and Cope: Filling Out the Dinosaur Fossil Record

Genes, DNA, and Quantitative Biology

Toward a Unified Synthetic Theory of Evolution

Horse Fossils, Their Geologic History, and Change in Environmental Conditions

Evolution in Action

Extinction Events and Their Impact on Evolution

Mass Extinctions

Biodiversity throughout the Geologic Record

Unifying Theories and the Future

8. The Biography of the Earth: The Precambrian Story

Hadean Eon, 4,600-​4,000 Million Years Ago

Archean Eon, 4,000-​2,500 Million Years Ago

Proterozoic Eon, 2,500-​541 Million Years Ago

Snowball Earths and Emergence of More Complex Life

9. The Biography of the Earth: Paleozoic Era

Cambrian Period, 541-​485.4 Million Years Ago

Ordovician Period, 485.4-​443.8 Million Years Ago

Silurian Period, 443.8-​419.2 Million Years Ago

Devonian Period, 419.2-​358.9 Million Years Ago

Carboniferous Period, 358.9-​298.9 Million Years Ago

Permian Period, 298.9-​251.9 Million Years Ago

10. The Biography of the Earth: Mesozoic Era

Triassic Period, 251.9-​201.3 Million Years Ago.

Jurassic Period, 201.3-​145.0 Million Years Ago

Cretaceous Period, 145.0-​66.0 Million Years Ago

11. Biography of the Earth: Cenozoic Era

Paleogene Period, 66.0-​23.03 Million Years Ago

Neogene Period, 23.03-​2.58 Million Years Ago

Quaternary Period, 2.58 Million Years Ago to Present

12. The Earth's Impact on Life and Life's Impact on the Earth

The Earth: Interconnected Systems

Population Matters

Geosphere-​Human Interaction

Hydrosphere-​Human Interaction

Biosphere-​Human Interaction

Atmosphere and Climate-​Human Interaction

Interfaces among All Spheres

Soils and Their Significance

Temperature, Weather, and Climate

The Dynamic Carbon Cycle

Song of the Earth and Implications

Looking Backward to Look Forward

Glossary

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-19-750249-0

0-19-750248-2

OCLC:

1273974144