How to Build a Habitable Planet : : The Story of Earth from the Big Bang to Humankind - Revised and Expanded Edition / / Wally Broecker, Charles H. Langmuir.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Langmuir, Charles H.,; Broecker, Wally,
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2012]; ©2012
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (736 p.) :; 16 color plates. 62 halftones. 220 line illus. 28 tables.

Since its first publication more than twenty-five years ago, How to Build a Habitable Planet has established a legendary reputation as an accessible yet scientifically impeccable introduction to the origin and evolution of Earth, from the Big Bang through the rise of human civilization. This classic...

Table of Contents

• Frontmatter
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Introduction: Earth and Life as Natural Systems
• Chapter 2. The Setting: The Big Bang and Galaxy Formation
• Chapter 3. The Raw Material: Synthesis of Elements in Stars
• Chapter 4. Preliminary Fabrication: Formation of Organic and Inorganic Molecules
• Chapter 5. The Heavy Construction: The Formation of Planets and Moons from a Solar Nebula
• Chapter 6. The Schedule: Quantifying the Timescale with Radionuclides
• Chapter 7. Interior Modifications: Segregation into Core, Mantle, Crust, Ocean, and Atmosphere
• Chapter 8. Contending with the Neighbors: Moons, Asteroids, Comets, and Impacts
• Chapter 9. Making It Comfortable: Running Water, Temperature Control, and Sun Protection
• Chapter 10. Establishing the Circulation: Plate Tectonics
• Chapter 11. Internal Circulation: Mantle Convection and Its Relationship to the Surface
• Chapter 12. Linking the Layers: Solid Earth, Liquid Ocean, and Gaseous Atmosphere
• Chapter 13. Colonizing the Surface: The Origin of Life as a Planetary Process
• Chapter 14. Dealing with the Competition: The Roles of Evolution and Extinction in Creating the Diversity of Life
• Chapter 15. Energizing the Surface: Coevolution of Life and Planet to Create a Planetary Fuel Cell
• Chapter 16. Exterior Modifications: The Record of Oxidation of the Planetary Surface
• Chapter 17. Planetary Evolution: The Importance of Catastrophes and the Question of Directionality
• Chapter 18. Coping with the Weather: Causes and Consequences of Naturally Induced Climate Change
• Chapter 19. The Rise of Homo Sapiens: Access to Earth's Treasure Chest Permits a Planetary Takeover
• Chapter 20. Mankind at the Helm: Human Civilization in a Planetary Context
• Chapter 21. Are We Alone? The Question of Habitability in the Universe
• Glossary
• Index