The authors explore the major factors in our planet's evolution.

Part IHow Has Earth Evolved? 1 -- 1. Birth of Planet Earth 3 -- 2. Learning the Age of Earth 13 -- 3. Evolution of the Continents 23 -- 4. Life and Conditions on Early Earth 36 -- 5. Reading Rocks: The Story of the Grand Canyon 49 -- Part II Why Are There Ocean Basins, Continents, and Mountains? 63 -- 6. Internal Earth 65 -- 7. Plate Tectonics 84 -- 8. Lavas from the Depths of Earth 99 -- 9. Great Explosive Volcanoes 116 -- 10. Earthquakes 137 -- 11. Mountains 156 -- 12. Alps 172 -- Part III What Causes Earth's Climate and Climate Change? 183 -- 13. Atmosphere 185 -- 14. World Ocean 197 -- 15. Geological Record of Climate Change 209 -- Part IV Why Is Earth Habitable? 227 -- 16. Conditions for Life 229 -- 17. Black Smokers from the Deep 242 -- 18. Some Natural Resources and How They Form 255.