Product Description

How old is the Earth? Is it really likely to be hit by a meteorite? What can Antarctic ice cores and Milankovitch cycles tell us about global warming? What is a Milankovitch cycle anyway? Where would you find black smokers? Are they ever likely to be useful? What causes tornadoes? Should you worry if you live near a transform plate boundary? What is the difference between a tidal wave and a tsunami? Does it matter? Can rocks affect your health? Answers to these and many similar questions will be found in the Oxford Companion to the Earth. The aim of the Companion is to provide concise and readable accounts of the main phenomena and processes relating to the Earth. Like the other Oxford Companions, it is aimed at a wide readership, and will appeal both to professional Earth scientists seeking an accessible digest of topics outside their own areas of specialization, as well as to the general reader wishing an approachable reference to our planet and the environment. For all these readers, and many more, the Companion will not only provide a valuable source of reference but also fascinating and informative browsing. The scope of the Companion is wide: it is concerned with the entire planetary environment on which all living things (ourselves included) depend: the atmosphere and the oceans as well as the solid Earth. And since we can no longer consider the Earth in isolation, information about other parts of the Solar System also finds a place here. Included in the Companion: Over 900 entries, from acid rain to zoogeomorphology, and over 200 expert contributors Complete coverage of the Earth sciences, including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geodesy, geomorphology, soil science, glaciology, oceanography, climatology, meteorology, enviromental and resource development, volcanology, and the history of the Earth sciences Over 800 pages with 600 illustrations and 16 pages of full colour plates Useful appendices, including detailed index, geological timescale, facts and figures about the Earth and its near neighbours, table of chemical elements. The Companion is a unique and important reference source which will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in the Earth, its history, formation, and environment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #709069 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1184 pages

The Observer, January 7 2001
...a marvellous, eclectic, pleasurably eccentric volume, a book that goes far beyond the mere study of the soil beneath our feet

Customer Reviews

A fantastic referance book for earth sciences
This book is nothing short of fantastic. As a qualified geologist, I have found few errors in this book. The maps are all but one correct; any omissions are due to really new evidence e.g. correct placement of the Falklands. This is an invaluable book, and I wish it were available when I was at University. In response to pervious criticisms, Iceland is a relatively new feature of the globe, and as such will not be on the maps representing pre-Atlantic earth, and the British Isles were in separate pieces prior to this.
HIGHLY RECOMENDED!

A potentially superb work ruined by too many errors
This book had the potential to fill an important niche by providing an authoratative and comprehensive guide to the earth and earth sciences. Its A - Z format and good index enable users to find information with ease, and the suggestions for further reading enable the interested reader to delve deeper. However, the whole work is flawed by the numerous errors which litter the text and figures. Captions to some figures are missing or incomplete, chemical equations do not balance, chunks of text are missing, and some world maps appear to suggest several large islands (the UK, Iceland, Cuba etc.) are an irrelevance and thus need not be represented. This is a pity as if the book was as well produced as its content deserves I would have happily awarded 4*.

Excellent introduction to Earths many wonders
This book manages to pack a vignette of nearly any geological/geographical topic you can think of into 1000 pages. I've found it very useful in getting started on new topics, as well as simply browsing for fun. Plenty of b/w illustrations too, and further reading suggestions accompany most entries.