6. Life in the Solar System
David C. Catling
in Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
On Earth, wherever we find liquid water, we find life, whether in bubbling hot springs, drops of brine inside ice, or films of water around minerals deep in the crust. ‘Life in the Solar ...
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8. Geology for society and the environment
Jan Zalasiewicz
in Geology: A Very Short Introduction
Geology is involved, somehow or another, in most of the resources that sustain us. Equally, it is a significant factor in many of the hazards that threaten us, and geology is often involved ...
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3. Thermal nuclear reactors
Maxwell Irvine
in Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction
‘Thermal nuclear reactors’ explains how the technology that had ended the Second World War was turned into a source of civil power. It is now more than fifty years since operations of the ...
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3. Origins of life and environment
David C. Catling
in Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Origins of life and environment’ explains that quite how life arose is unknown. It may have originated on Earth or it may have been carried here by space dust or meteorites, but there is ...
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7. Far-off worlds, distant suns
David C. Catling
in Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
Beyond the Solar System, astronomers have discovered over 3,400 exoplanets. ‘Far-off worlds, distant suns’ explores the hunt for exoplanets and describes the methods astronomers have ...
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8. Controversies and prospects
David C. Catling
in Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Controversies and prospects’ examines the Rare Earth Hypothesis and looks at prospects for astrobiology and finding life elsewhere. The Rare Earth Hypothesis is that the fortuitous ...
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2. Atmosphere and oceans
Mark Maslin
in Climate: A Very Short Introduction
Our weather resides in the atmosphere. It begins on the Earth's surface and becomes thinner the higher it gets. The oceans play a crucial role in controlling weather and climate. ...
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6. Global climate cooling
Mark Maslin
in Climate: A Very Short Introduction
Over the last 50 million years, small variations in the movements of continents have changed the Earth's climate from being a greenhouse to an icehouse. ‘Global climate cooling’ explains ...
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8. Polymers, plastics, and textiles
Graham Patrick
in Organic Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
Over the last fifty years, synthetic materials have largely replaced natural materials such as wood, leather, wool, and cotton. Plastics and polymers are perhaps the most visible sign of ...
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2. Marine biological processes
Philip V. Mladenov
in Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction
Around half of the planet's primary production is made within the Global Ocean. For the most part, the primary producers are minute, short-lived microorganisms suspended in the sunlit ...
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5. Marine life in the tropics
Philip V. Mladenov
in Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction
The areas where the surface waters are consistently warm at around 20oC or more are considered tropical marine environments. ‘Marine life in the tropics’ looks at the biological composition ...
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3. Its principles: energy and entropy
Peter Atkins
in Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
To understand why and how reactions take place and why and how bonds form in all their variety, chemists think about the energy changes that take place when processes occur. ‘Its ...
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3. Tough but slippery
Christopher Hall
in Materials: A Very Short Introduction
‘Tough but slippery’ considers the physical characteristics of materials. Understanding properties in certain materials allows us to predict their behaviour and to use them appropriately in ...
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1. Water, water everywhere …
John Finney
in Water: A Very Short Introduction
Water (H2O) is the most abundant compound on the Earth’s surface and occurs naturally in gas, liquid, and solid forms. It is estimated that there are 1.9 billion billion tonnes of water on ...
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6. Such quantities of sand
Christopher Hall
in Materials: A Very Short Introduction
‘Such quantities of sand’ looks at sustainability and considers three features of the global materials system that need fixing: carbon dioxide emissions, world energy supply, and finite ...
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3. The Ice Age cometh
Bill McGuire
in Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
What turns ice ages on and off? ‘The Ice Age cometh’ considers the potential impact global warming may have on the arrival of the next expected Ice Age. Will global warming fend it off or ...
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3. Regulation
Tim Lenton
in Earth System Science: A Very Short Introduction
The Earth system has maintained habitable conditions for life over geological periods of time. These conditions include an equable global temperature, enough atmospheric carbon dioxide to ...
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4. Modelling future climate
Mark Maslin
in Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction (3rd edn)
‘Modelling future climate’ is about understanding the fundamental physical processes of the climate system. Modelling future climate considers the carbon cycle, cooling effects, carbon ...
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2. Deep waters
Warwick F. Vincent
in Lakes: A Very Short Introduction
‘Deep waters’ explains the role of François A. Forel in the birth and development of limnology, a new integrative science he defined as ‘the oceanography of lakes’. In his comprehensive ...
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7. Landscapes of the future
Andrew Goudie and Heather Viles
in Landscapes and Geomorphology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Landscapes of the future’ looks at how geomorphology weighs up factors such as climate change, tectonic activity, and future human impacts, when assessing the future of landscapes. What ...
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