Origin and Evolution of Earth: Research Questions for a Changing Planet

This book captures, in a series of questions, the essential scientific challenges that constitute the frontier of Earth science at the start of the 21st century.

Questions about the origin and nature of Earth and the life on it have long preoccupied human thought and the scientific endeavor. Deciphering the planet's history and processes could improve the ability to predict catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, to manage Earth's resources, and to anticipate changes in climate and geologic processes.

Contents
SUMMARY
1 ORIGINS
Question 1: How did Earth and other planets form?
Question 2: What happened during Earth’s “dark age” (the first 500 million years)?
Question 3: How did life begin?
2 EARTH’S INTERIOR
Question 4: How does Earth’s interior work, and how does it affect the surface?
Question 5: Why does Earth have plate tectonics and continents?
Question 6: How are Earth processes controlled by material properties?
3 A HABITABLE PLANET
Question 7: What causes climate to change—and how much can it change?
Question 8: How has life shaped Earth—and how has Earth shaped life?
4 HAZARDS AND RESOURCES
Question 9: Can earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and their consequences be predicted?
Question 10: How do fluid flow and transport affect the human environment?
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
B Acronyms and Abbreviations