Over the past 30 years, space probes--manned and unmanned--have provided a wealth of new information about the composition and structures of the planets of our solar system. Over the same period the study of the Earth has been revolutionized by the theory of plate tectonics. This book looks at the Earth as a very special planet in the context of these discoveries, telling what is unique about our orbiting home and what it has in common with its neighbors. The journey begins with an understanding of the cosmic origins of the Sun and the accretion of the planets from the solar nebula. With insights from comparative planetology, the author discusses the dramatic events leading to the evolution of the solar system, focusing on the key question of why the Earth, apparently alone among the planets, developed crustal plates moving in response to convection currents in the mantle. These plate movements contributed importantly to the emergence of island arcs, land masses, and oceans, and they made possible the emergence of life, which itself altered the Earth's environment, producing an oxygen-rich atmosphere and eventually contributing to the shaping of the landscape. This unique book provides an overview of this fascinating geography, geology, and planetology, combining essential reference material with a compelling account of modern theories in these important areas.

Earth and Other Planets: Geology and Space Research (New Encyclopedia of Science)

Children's Books

Cattermole, Peter

Science, Nature & How It Works

Oxford University Press

Planetary Volcanism: A Study of Volcanic Activity in the Solar System (Wiley-Praxis Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Science & Math

Earth Sciences

John Wiley&Sons, Inc.

The Story of the Earth

Moore. Patrick

Astronomy & Space Science

Cambridge University Press

The Story of the Earth presents the complex history of the Earth from its formation through to the emergence of man and his influence on the planet. Peter Cattermole and Patrick Moore trace the evolution of Earth from its beginnings in the primeval Solar Nebula, through its bombardment by cosmic particles, continental drifting and the formation of mountains and oceans, and end with a study of the last Ice Age and the rise of man. While the approach is roughly chronological, time is spent in explaining some of the methods that geologists, physicists, chemists and biologists use to discover what processes have contributed to the internal make-up and external appearance of our unique planet. Accounts are included of the dramatic events that are still changing the face of the Earth: volcanoes and photographs - several taken from orbiting satelites - help to elucidate the story.

A combination of striking photos and lucid prose, this volume brings this mysterious planet to life. Well-known astronomers Peter Cattermole and Patrick Moore place Venus in the solar system and explain what information telescope observation has yielded. They then take us on a space-age trip to Venus exhibiting observations from orbiting space craft and probes, and, most significantly, the data-laden Magellan mission. An abundance of colorful illustrations showcase Venus' fascinating topography, including impact craters, highland massifs, and plains. The text is rounded out by a history of this intriguing planet and a gazetteer of Venusian place names. Several useful appendices of data complement the atlas. This book will delight amateur astonomers and will also serve as a helpful reference to professional astronomers and planetary scientists.

Atlas of Venus

Continental plates, moving as fast as human hair grows, collide, mountains buckle, the ocean abyss sucks in the Earth's crust, and volcanos explode. Here is a story that Hollywood wished it could option: the dynamic cycle of geological destruction and renewal that has stretched across billions of years and shaped our planet in its current image. Scene by scene, this action-packed blockbuster can be experienced in Building Planet Earth. Peter Cattermole begins the story by describing a cloud of matter that surrounds a primitive Sun. Out of this the Earth was formed through compaction and internal heating to the point at which it became a stable, layered structure with a core, mantle, and crust. Using eye-catching images, artwork, and diagrams, Building Planet Earth presents this geological development and goes on to discuss what is happening to our planet now and what we can expect in the future. Cattermole covers in fascinating detail the impact of mass extinctions, global-warming, and ozone holes. The book features 241 illustrations--128 in full-color--and a number of useful appendices. For anyone who has ever wondered how this miraculous planet continues to thrive and surprise, this elegantly-written book will be an essential read. Peter Cattermole is a principal investigator with NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program. He has written several books on geology and astronomy as well as numerous articles for both scholarly and popular media, including Atlas of Venus (Cambridge University Press, 1997) and The Story of the Earth (Cambridge University Press, 1985).

Building Planet Earth: Five Billion Years of Earth History

Surveys what is now known about the planet Mars, discussing its surface features, moons, polar ice caps, and the exploratory missions that helped provide this information.

Mars (Planetary Exploration)

Davis, Don

Education & Reference

FACTS ON FILE+

The solar system, of which Earth is but a small part, is an amazing collection of bodies, ranging in size from the Sun, through the giant planet Jupiter, to specks of dust left over from the primordial nebula from which the system emerged. Excluding the Sun, the eight major planets, together with several dwarf planets and at least 160 orbiting natural satellites, form the main mass of the system These are made from an amalgam of silicate, metal, ice and gas. 
Peter Cattermole describes the characteristics and geological development of the eight large planetary bodies and their more substantial moons. This includes discussion of their orbital properties, magnetic fields, atmospheres and mutual interactions. Rather than deal with the system planet by planet, his approach is comparative. Thus one chapter deals with planetary orbits, another with planetary differentiation and a third with volcanism. This enables the reader to perceive immediately how their position and size led these bodies along different evolutionary paths.
The book is copiously illustrated with some of the finest images available, lacks technical equations and terms, and includes a useful glossary for reference. By using this format, it follows other titles in the same series.

Introducing the Planets and their Moons (Introducing Earth and Environmental Sciences)

Liverpool University Press

Venus: The New Geology

Taylor & Francis Books Ltd

Mars: The Mystery Unfolds

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Books by Cattermole, Peter