John Grotzinger – författare

The Mars Science Laboratory is the latest and most advanced NASA roving vehicle to explore the surface of Mars. The Curiosity rover has landed in Gale crater and will explore this region assessing conditions on the surface that might be hospitable to life and paving the way for later even more sophisticated exploration of the surface. This book describes the mission, its exploration and scientific objectives, studies leading to the design of the mission and the instruments that accomplish the objectives of the mission. This book is aimed at all those engaged in Martian studies as well as those interested in the origin of life in other environments. It will be a valuable reference for anyone who uses data from the Mars Science Laboratory. Previously published in Space Science Reviews journal, Vol. 170/1-4, 2012.

Geology is everywhere in our daily lives, in the materials and resources extracted from the Earth, in the alarming rates of climate change and in the major catastrophes as a result of earth’s processes. Understanding our earth has never been more important and this text leads the way by fully integrating the study of climate science into the core introductory geology curriculum, offering a text that places our changing climate as a key force shaping the rest of our discussion on Earth’s surficial processes.

The Essential Earth is a whole new way to open students; eyes to the physical world around them, to learn how scientists explore it, and what we need to do to both protect ourselves from it (hazards) as well as protect it from us (global change).   In just 14 chapters, it offers a well-focused introduction to the basics of geology that emphasize the process of science and how humans interact with our home, Spaceship Earth.

The Mars Science Laboratory is the latest and most advanced NASA roving vehicle to explore the surface of Mars. The Curiosity rover has landed in Gale crater and will explore this region assessing conditions on the surface that might be hospitable to life and paving the way for later even more sophisticated exploration of the surface. This book describes the mission, its exploration and scientific objectives, studies leading to the design of the mission and the instruments that accomplish the objectives of the mission. This book is aimed at all those engaged in Martian studies as well as those interested in the origin of life in other environments. It will be a valuable reference for anyone who uses data from the Mars Science Laboratory. Previously published in Space Science Reviews journal, Vol. 170/1-4, 2012.

Dieses bewährte Lehrbuch erläutert die grundlegenden Prozesse durch leicht verständliche Texte. Bestechende Fotos führen die Studenten gleichsam an den Ort des Geschehens. Didaktisch hervorragende Zeichnungen verdeutlichen die geologischen Vorgänge in Gegenwart und Vergangenheit. Vulkanismus an Plattengrenzen, Sedimentation in Flussdeltas oder Dünenbildung in Sandwüsten sind damit nur einige Beispiele der vielfältigen Vorgänge, die unsere Erde gestaltet haben und noch immer gestalten. In vielen Fällen können wir sie auch unmittelbar beobachten und mit diesem Lehrbuch verstehen. Auf diese Weise wird der geologische Prüfungsstoff in diesem Lehrbuch zu einer weltweiten Exkursion. Die Neuauflage wurde an vielen Stellen ergänzt und aktualisiert. Dies gilt vor allem für die Kapitel Geobiologie, Klimasystem sowie Mensch und Umwelt, die wegen ihrer Bedeutung für den zu erwartenden Klimawandel wesentlich erweitert wurden. Die Visualisierung von Sachverhalten ist noch erheblich verbessert worden. Ein umfangreiches Glossar mit deutschen und englischen Begriffen ergänzt dieses bewährte Lehrbuch.