Earth System History 4th Edition by Steven M. Stanley & John A. Luczaj (2014)

Earth System History, Fourth Edition (2014) by Steven M. Stanley and John A. Luczaj is written from a truly integrated earth systems perspective, treating Earth as a dynamic system of interacting physical, chemical, and biological processes over deep time. Published by W. H. Freeman, this widely adopted historical geology textbook presents the subject as a unified scientific narrative rather than a disconnected catalog of eras and events.

The fourth edition features new and updated coverage of key topics in historical geology including mass extinction events, climate change, Proterozoic history, plate tectonics, paleogeography, and the evolution of life — bringing the most current scientific research into every chapter.

Topics covered: the scientific method in earth sciences; minerals and rocks; plate tectonics and the rock record; sedimentary environments and stratigraphy; the fossil record and paleontology; evolution and the origin of life; geologic time and dating methods; the early Earth and Hadean Eon; the Archean; the Proterozoic Eon and early life; the Cambrian explosion; the Paleozoic Era including the Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian periods; the Mesozoic Era including the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous; mass extinctions including the end-Permian and end-Cretaceous events; the Cenozoic Era; Quaternary glaciations; human evolution; and anthropogenic climate change.

Essential for: undergraduate historical geology courses; introductory earth sciences; paleontology and paleobiology courses; physical and historical geology majors; environmental science programs; earth systems science programs; and pre-graduate students preparing for geology, paleontology, or geoscience graduate programs.