Some of the foremost authorities in earth sciences contributed to this volume, first published in 1992, to provide a highly accessible and stimulating account of the rapid evolution of knowledge about the processes that drive and shape the Earth. Well-illustrated and extremely readable accounts cover many aspects of the earth sciences that are often confined to the more esoteric literature - from magma generation in the Earth to the formation of sedimentary basins. From contributions on the Earth's interior and its dynamic evolution to investigations of the natural and human-driven disturbances to the environment, Understanding the Earth reflects the increasingly integrated and multi-disciplinary research that has fed our understanding of the Earth's origin and its internal and surface processes, and provides an indispensable guide to students of modern earth sciences.

Some of the foremost authorities in earth sciences contributed to this volume, first published in 1992, to provide a highly accessible and stimulating account of the rapid evolution of knowledge about the processes that drive and shape the Earth. Well-illustrated and extremely readable accounts cover many aspects of the earth sciences that are often confined to the more esoteric literature - from magma generation in the Earth to the formation of sedimentary basins. From contributions on the Earth's interior and its dynamic evolution to investigations of the natural and human-driven disturbances to the environment, Understanding the Earth reflects the increasingly integrated and multi-disciplinary research that has fed our understanding of the Earth's origin and its internal and surface processes, and provides an indispensable guide to students of modern earth sciences.