This handbook provides a carefully researched, compact source of key earth science information and data, logically sorted by subject matter, and then cross-referenced. It presents earth science and environmental science as closely intertwined and includes tables of the global distributions of fossil fuels.

Preface. Authors. Section I: Notation And Units. Physical Units and Constants. Some Shorthand Conventions. Section II: The Building Blocks: Elements To Planets. Elements, Isotopes and Radioactivity. The Solar System. Section III: Global Geophysics. Whole Earth Properties. Section IV: Major Subdivisions Of The Earth: Structures And Properties. The Core. The Mantle. The Crust. The Oceans. Inland Salt Lakes. Fresh Water and Ice. The Atmosphere. Section V: Geological Activity: The Restless Earth. Tectonics. Earthquakes. Volcanism. Tsunamis. Weathering, Erosion, Crustal Recycling and Regeneration. Geological Time and the Fossil Record. Section VI: Rocks And Minerals. Mineral Types and Characteristics. Rock Types and Occurrences. Physical properties of Minerals and Rocks. Section VII: Resources. Elements as resources. Rocks and Minerals as Resources. Fossil fuels. Energy Sources Alternative to Fossil Fuels. Land Degradation, Waste Disposal and Recycling.References. Index.