Earth System, The (2nd Edition)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 432 pages
• Published by: Prentice Hall
• Edition: 2nd Edition August 16, 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0131420593
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0131420595
• Book Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Weighs: 2 pounds

Product Description
For courses in Earth Systems Science offered in departments of Geology, Earth Science, Geography and Environmental Science. The first textbook of its kind that addresses 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 text is more quantitative than the standard Earth science book, but the authors have remained sensitive to the requirements of non-science majors.

Back Cover Copy


The Earth System, Second Edition employs a systems-based approach to examine Earth science at the global level. This text explores how:

• Earth's processes have connections to the past and to each other
• Seemingly small-scale changes to Earth can have large-scale effects
• Processes that are occurring now are molding the course of the future

The second edition incorporates two new chapters:

• Modeling the Atmosphere-Ocean System-A discussion of why numerical models are necessary, how they are used, what they can tell us about past and future climates, and what their limitations are.
• A Focus on the Biota: Ecosystems and Biodiversity-Focuses on life's role in the Earth system, how ecosystems function, what biodiversity is, and whether or not biological diversity enhances the stability of ecosystems.

Three categories of boxed text are included and offer a deeper study of the topics presented.

• A Closer Look-Includes more advanced concepts, results from current research, and explanations of interesting phenomena.
• Important Concepts-In-depth presentations of fundamental concepts from the natural sciences essential to our understanding of the Earth system.
• Thinking Quantitatively-Demonstrates how simple mathematics can be used to better understand the workings of the Earth system.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Earth System, The (Paperback) Earth System Science is a new field, one that evolves much more quickly than textbooks can be revised. This one is as current as you can expect, and it approaches the field of science in a much better way than any other textbook I have seen. In particular, most earth system texts approach the field by morphing from a traditional discipline. Usually, it's a geology textbook revised to include atmospheric, oceanic, and climatic studies. But earth system science requires an interdisciplinary approach from the start, a problem based approach. Our global environmental problems need this approach, and this book covers them in a reasonably detailed and accurate manner.