Ordinary chondrites, the most abundant meteorites, constitute about 80% of meteorite falls and are essential to our understanding of cosmochemistry. They provide important information about planetary accretion, the early Solar System, and the geological history of asteroids, including such processes as thermal metamorphism, shock metamorphism, and aqueous alteration. This comprehensive guide begins with meteorite classifications and useful definitions, followed by a discussion of fall phen...

This book explains that diffusion, osmosis, dissolution, evaporation, and heat loss all preferentially affect small bodies due to their high surface/volume ratios. Because surface area increases as the square of length, but volume (and mass) increase as the cube, large objects have low surface/volume ratios and small objects have high surface/volume ratios. This simple physical constraint governs much of the physical world. It accounts for why the Earth has active volcanoes, but the Moon d...

The solar system has always been a messy place in which gravity wreaks havoc. Moons form, asteroids and comets crash into planets, ice ages commence, and dinosaurs disappear. By describing the dramatic consequences of such disturbances, this authoritative and entertaining book reveals the fundamental interconnectedness of the solar system--and what it means for life on Earth.After relating a brief history of the solar system, Alan Rubin describes how astronomers determined our loca...

Astrobiology is an exciting interdisciplinary field that seeks to answer one of the most important and profound questions: are we alone? In this volume, leading international experts explore the frontiers of astrobiology, investigating the latest research questions that will fascinate a wide interdisciplinary audience at all levels. What is the earliest evidence for life on Earth? Where are the most likely sites for life in the Solar System? Could life have evolved elsewhere in the Galaxy?...

Recent years have seen an expansion in speciality uses of activated carbons including medicine, filtration, and the purification of liquids and gaseous media. Much of current research and information surrounding the nature and use of activated carbon is scattered throughout various literature, which has created the need for an up-to-date comprehensive and integrated review reference. In this book, special attention is paid to porosities in all forms of carbon, and to the modern-day materia...

A classic introduction to the story of Earth's origin and evolution—revised and expanded for the twenty-first centurySince 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 account of how our habitable planet was as...

As the search for Earth-like exoplanets gathers pace, in order to understand them, we need comprehensive theories for how planetary atmospheres form and evolve. Written by two well-known planetary scientists, this text explains the physical and chemical principles of atmospheric evolution and planetary atmospheres, in the context of how atmospheric composition and climate determine a planet's habitability. The authors survey our current understanding of the atmospheric evolution and climat...

The Precambrian is the oldest era of Earth's history, and, of its origins (4 billion and 500 million years ago), the appearance of the first invertebrates with exoskeletons (542 million years ago). In this long period of time, the planet, newly formed, was affected by cosmic events and geological shocking that border on the limits of imagination.

In this beautiful and unique combination of art and science, this stunningly detailed book examines how the rules of science govern the the world around us, from the rooms in our houses to the planet, the solar system and the universe itself!The Universe is inconceivably complex. Its component parts though follow a set of unbreakable laws that have somehow been coded into their very fabric since the beginning of time. These laws pl...

This open access book documents the use of radiogenic and stable isotopes to study mineral deposits from a global to the deposit scale. It includes data-sets that have been directly used in mineral exploration. Isotopic data have been key to developing models for the origin of many mineral deposit types. The book has four sections: (1) the use of radiogenic isotopes to date mineral deposits, (2) the use of radiogenic isotope mapping to understand metal sources and regional- to district-sca...

Peterson's GED Basics: Science offers test-taking tips, subject review, exercises, and practice test questions to help a reader score high on the GED Science Test. Readers will benefit from the review and practice exercises of the following areas:Life scienceEarth and space scienceChemistryPhysicsThe Test Yourself section will help you see if you are prepared to take this test of the GED or if additional review is needed.In...

Beginning systematically with the fundamentals, the fully-updated third edition of this popular graduate textbook provides an understanding of all the essential elements of marine optics. It explains the key role of light as a major factor in determining the operation and biological composition of aquatic ecosystems, and its scope ranges from the physics of light transmission within water, through the biochemistry and physiology of aquatic photosynthesis, to the ecological relationships th...