How the Earth Works

How the Earth Works: Essentials in Earth System Science and Geology teaches students the essential geology content needed to understand how the earth works. The material focuses on selected geology topics including discussions of how they impact the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and climate.

The book begins with a discussion of science in general as a process of discovery, and an introduction to earth system science in particular. Students then learn about the ingredients and structure of the earth and how the solid earth works. The final chapters of the text examine water, air, the earth's climate, and the relationships between the three.

Specific geology topics include Earth's most important molecules (minerals and water), the rock cycle, magnetism, plate tectonics, seismology, and the origins of mountains. Students will also learn about geological time, the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and the energy budget of Earth. The text concludes with a discussion of the geologic record of the Quaternary climate change.

How the Earth Works: Essentials in Earth System Science and Geology is ideal for introductory survey courses that focus on geoscience's role in the earth system.

Charlotte Mehrtens earned her Ph.D. in geology at the University of Chicago. Her area of expertise is stratigraphy and sedimentology and she is particularly interested in the evolution of the Northern Appalachians and reconstructing ancient environments. Dr. Mehrtens teaches at the University of Vermont, where her course offerings include introductory earth system science, earth history, and stratigraphy and sedimentation for advanced undergraduates. In addition, Dr. Mehrtens co-teaches the regional geology summer field class. Her professional writing has appeared in the Journal of Paleontology, Northeastern Geology and Tectonics.