1. Introduction to Earth Science

UNIT 1: EARTH MATERIALS

2. Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks
3. Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

UNIT 2: SCULPTURING EARTH’S SURFACE

4. Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting

5: Running Water and Groundwater

6. Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind
Glaciers: A Part of Two Basic Cycles in the Earth System

UNIT 3: FORCES WITHIN

7. Earthquakes and Earth’s Interior

8. Plate Tectonics: A Scientific Theory Unfolds

9. Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

10. Mountain Building

UNIT 4: DECIPHERING EARTH’S HISTORY

11. Geologic Time

12. Earth’s History: A Brief Summary

UNIT 5: THE GLOBAL OCEAN

13. The Ocean Floor

14. Ocean Water and Ocean Life

15. The Dynamic Ocean

16 The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature
Weather and Climate

17 Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

18. Air Pressure and Wind

19. Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

20. Climate

UNIT 7: EARTH’S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE

21. Origin of Modern Astronomy

22. Touring Our Solar System

23. Light, Astronomical Observations, and the Sun

24. Beyond Our Solar System

Box 24.1 Understanding Earth: Determining Distance from Magnitude

Box 24.2 Understanding Earth: Supernova 1987A

Box 24.3 Earth As a System: From Stardust to You

Appendix A: Metric and English Units Compared

Appendix B: Earth’s Grid System

Appendix C: World Soils

Appendix D: Relative Humidity and Dew Point Tables

Appendix E: Landforms on the Conterminous United States

Glossary

Index