The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World

Quebec publishers

Almost 40,000 tons of meteorites fall to Earth each year…

A living fossil is discovered off the coast of South Africa…

The swirling wind becomes a devastating tornado that destroys everything in its path…

A killer whale dives 3,000 meters to gulp down a giant squid…

Marvel at our universe, with its billions of galaxies and the planets of our solar system. Explore Earth and all its breathtaking landscapes. Take a front-row seat at the impressive spectacle that is our weather and plunge to the depths of the ocean with all its hidden treasures.

Table of contents
The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World	1
Contents	5
The universe and its galaxies	10
The universe	11
Galaxies	15
The Milky Way	17
Celestial objects of light	20
Sun	21
Stars	25
Our little corner of the universe	30
The solar system	31
Mercury	33
Venus	35
Earth	37
Mars	41
Jupiter	43
Saturn	45
Uranus	47
Neptune	49
Dwarfs planets	51
The Moon	53
Asteroids	57
Comets	59
Meteors and meteorites	61
Space exploration	64
Observing the universe	65
Exploring the universe	67
Extraterrestrial life	71
History of Earth	74
How Earth was formed	75
History of life	78
Fossils	79
Inside Earth	82
Earth's structure	83
The soil	85
Rocks	87
Minerals and precious stones	89
Metals and fossil fuels	91
Breathtaking landscapes	94
Climatic zones	95
Erosion	97
Water	101
Mountains	105
Caves	107
Glaciers	109
Earth’s fits of anger	112
Tectonic plates	113
Volcanic eruptions	115
Volcanism	117
Volcanic landscapes	119
Earthquakes	121
Landslides	123
Drought and flooding	125
The environment	128
Biosphere and ecosystems	129
Climate change and global warming	131
Deforestation and desertification	133
Sources of pollution	135
The ABCs of weather	138
Earth and climate: A story from space	139
Atmosphere	141
Wind	143
Water, clouds, and precipitation	145
Types of clouds	147
Temperature	149
When weather runs wild	152
Tornadoes	153
Dew, mist, and fog	157
Rainstorms and flooding	159
Thunder and lightning	161
Snowstorms	163
Ice storms	165
Hail	167
Heat and cold	169
Sand and dust storms	172
Forest fires	173
Hurricanes	175
A planet under many influences	180
Volcanoes and comets	181
Ocean currents and landforms	183
Pollution	185
Predictions . . . For better or worse	188
Meteorologists and their observations	189
Meteorological instruments	193
Portrait of the oceans	198
Atlas of oceans	199
Pacific Ocean	201
Atlantic Ocean	203
Indian Ocean	205
Arctic and Southern Oceans	207
Seas	209
Coastline	211
At the bottom of the ocean	214
Ocean floor	215
Islands	219
Fossils	221
The ocean’s changing features	224
Origin of water	225
Properties of water	227
Waves	229
Ocean currents	231
Tides	233
Erosion	235
An ocean of life	238
Marine variety	239
Food chain	241
Tricks and tactics	243
Sunlit zone	245
Twilight zone	247
Midnight zone	249
Hydrothermal vents	251
Polar life	253
Coral reefs	255
Life on the coast	257
Marine plants	259
The conquest of the oceans	262
Great navigators	263
Underwater discoveries	265
Technology	267
Underwater remains	269
Ocean ressources	271
Pollution	277
Endangered species	279
Maps	282
Facts	296
Activities	312
Glossary	325
Index	330