Earth’s Dynamic Systems

By W Kenneth Hamblin and Eric H Christiansen
Review by Diana (Earth Sciences)

It is challenging to find a suitable book for a multidisciplinary subject like Earth Sciences, which is what I study. At school I was always thinking I should read something with more Chemistry, or Physics, Geography or Astronomy because Earth Science is about all these things-and many more. What really helped me in school was to understand that many elements (many subjects) get together to form a new one with its own proprieties and rules. For me, Earth’s Dynamic System has been a crucial book.

You will find that the world works as a system subdivided in many more. Do not be scared by the size of the book. It is divided in many chapters and you can take them one by one. Actually, it is designed for passionate students who want to go a little bit further on their own. You have references, questions with answers at the end of each chapter, explanations and diagrams. This is another interesting thing about earth sciences books in general. You can find charts, tables, diagrams but also drawings and aerial pictures. The most interesting ones are the satellite photos and if you are patient and read the book all the way to the last chapter, you will find loads of intersecting facts about other planets.

After taking you through basic chapters that are apparently unrelated (minerals, landscapes, weathering processes, tectonics, atmosphere) the books takes you all the way to Jupiter and its satellites. Why? Because Earth is a system that is a part of a bigger one: the Solar System and so on.

In the end the pieces of the jigsaw will fit together in your mind and you will gain a deep understanding, an overall view and you will be able to model and to anticipate different natural phenomenon. This is what Earth Science is about (besides field trips, mapping projects and cool lab work)! Pursue your curiosity and read it!

Earth’s Dynamic Systems by W Kenneth Hamblin and Eric H Christiansen
ISBN-10: 0130183717
ISBN-13: 978-0130183712

Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.

Explore Univ on social media