Understanding The Earth

Quebec publishers

For all curious readers, the Knowledge Guides open the door to a world of complex and captivating phenomena.

Accurate, detailed visual information is all defined in lay language to make it readily accessible to the non-expert. Definitions to scientific terms are given either in the explanation itself, or in the comprehensive glossary.

Table of contents
Understanding The Earth	1
Table of contents	5
Earth’s history	8
The formation of Earth	9
The geologic time scale	11
Life emerges on the continents	13
Our knowledge of geologic time	15
Earth’s structure	18
Inside Earth	19
Geomagnetism	21
The minerals	23
Mineral shapes	25
The life cycle of rocks	27
Types of rocks	29
Tectonics and volcanism	32
Plate tectonics	33
The fate of Pangaea	35
Continental drift	37
Volcanoes	39
Volcanism	41
Volcanic eruptions	43
Hot spots	44
Geysers	45
Earthquakes	47
Seismic waves	49
Water and oceans	52
Watercourses	53
The world’s rivers and lakes	55
The world ocean	57
The ocean floor	59
Oceanic trenches and ridges	61
Ocean currents	63
Waves	65
Tsunamis	67
The tides	69
The evolving landscape	72
Erosion	73
The cycle of erosion	75
Landslides	76
Caves	77
How mountains are formed	79
Mountains of the world	81
Configuration of the coastline	83
Glaciers	85
Glacial erosion	87
Icebergs	88
Representations of Earth	90
Terrestrial coordinates	91
Cartographic projection	93
Cartography	95
Cartographic conventions	97
Physical and topographic maps	99
Thematic maps	101
Remote sensing	103
Satellites and shuttles	105
Time zones	107
The continents	110
Configuration of the continents	111
Antarctica	112
North America	113
South America	115
Europe	117
Asia	119
Oceania	121
Africa	123
Glossary	125
Index	127
Photo credits	129