Why Geology Matters
eBook - PDF

Why Geology Matters

Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future

  1. 304 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Why Geology Matters

Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future

About this book

Volcanic dust, climate change, tsunamis, earthquakes—geoscience explores phenomena that profoundly affect our lives. But more than that, as Doug Macdougall makes clear, the science also provides important clues to the future of the planet. In an entertaining and accessibly written narrative, Macdougall gives an overview of Earth's astonishing history based on information extracted from rocks, ice cores, and other natural archives. He explores such questions as: What is the risk of an asteroid striking Earth? Why does the temperature of the ocean millions of years ago matter today? How are efforts to predict earthquakes progressing? Macdougall also explains the legacy of greenhouse gases from Earth's past and shows how that legacy shapes our understanding of today's human-caused climate change. We find that geoscience in fact illuminates many of today's most pressing issues—the availability of energy, access to fresh water, sustainable agriculture, maintaining biodiversity—and we discover how, by applying new technologies and ideas, we can use it to prepare for the future.

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Yes, you can access Why Geology Matters by Doug Macdougall in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Geology & Earth Sciences. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Table of Contents
  5. List of Illustrations
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Chapter 1. Set in Stone
  9. Chapter 2. Building Our Planet
  10. Chapter 3. Close Encounters
  11. Chapter 4. The First Two Billion Years
  12. Chapter 5. Wandering Plates
  13. Chapter 6. Shaky Foundations
  14. Chapter 7. Mountains, Life, and the Big Chill
  15. Chapter 8. Cold Times
  16. Chapter 9. The Great Warming
  17. Chapter 10. Reading LIPs
  18. Chapter 11. Restless Giants
  19. Chapter 12. Swimming, Crawling, and Flying toward the Present
  20. Chapter 13. Why Geology Matters
  21. Bibliography and Further Reading
  22. Index