Sciences of the Earth: An Encyclopedia of Events, People,
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Good, Gregory A. / Roong>theong>nberg, Marc, PUBLISHER: Routledge, ong>Theong> planet as seen by its inhabitants In two millenia, our knowledge of ong>theong> planet and its natural laws and forces has undergone remarkable changes--from ong>theong> religious belief of earth as ong>theong> center of ong>theong> universe to ong>theong> modern astronomers' view that it is a mere speck in ong>theong> cosmos. Now a first-of-its-kind reference work charts this remarkable intellectual progression in our evolving perception of ong>theong> earth by surveying ong>theong> history of geology, geography, geophysics, oceanography, meteorology, space science, and many oong>theong>r fields. Covers human understanding of ong>theong> Earth in various times and cultures ong>Theong> "Encyclopedia" traces our understanding of ong>theong> earth and its functioning throughout history, summarizing historical explanations of earthly occurrences, including explanations with no scientific basis. It presents ong>theong> latest facts and ong>theong>ories, explains how our understanding of ong>theong> earth has evolved, and shows why many outrageous and fanciful earlier ideas were accepted in ong>theong>ir time. ong>Theong> coverage explores ong>theong> physical phenomena that inform our knowledge, starting at ong>theong> earth's core and extending outward through ong>theong> mantle, crust, oceans, and atmosphere to ong>theong> magnetosphere and beyond. Charts ong>theong> evolution of our perceptions ong>Theong> primary focus of ong>theong> "Encyclopedia" is ong>theong> history of ong>theong> study of ong>theong> earth. It also discusses ong>theong> institutions that advanced and shaped science and probes ong>theong> interplay between science, practical applications, and social and political forces. ong>Theong> result is a unified historical overview of ong>theong> earth across a wide canvas of time and place, from antiquity to ong>theong> space age. Its wide-ranging articles summarize subjects as diverse as geography and imperialism, environmentalism, computers and meteorology, ozone formation ong>theong>ories since , scientific rocketry, ong>theong> Scopes trial, and much more. Special Features Shows how diverse disciplines, from geology to space science, fit togeong>theong>r in a coherent view of ong>theong> earth * Explains earlier ideas and ong>theong>ories in ong>theong> context of ong>theong> beliefs and scientific knowledge of ong>theong>ir time * Spotlights important institutions that have shaped ong>theong> history of science * Explores relationships between science, practical applications, and sociopolitical concerns * Provides a subject index and an index of scientists with birth/death dates