Supercontinent: Ten Billion Years in the Life of Our Planet - Softcover

Nield, Ted

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847080413 ISBN 13: 9781847080417

Publisher: Granta Books, 2008

Synopsis

This book explores the Supercontinent Cycle from scientists' earliest inkling of the phenomenon to the geological discoveries of today--and from the most recent fusing of all of Earth's landmasses, Pangaea, on which dinosaurs evolved, to the next.

About this title

About the Author

Ted Nield holds a doctorate in geology and currently works for the Geology Society of London, where he is Editor of their monthly magazine Geoscientist. He is Chair of the British Association of Science Writers and Chair of the Outreach Programme of the International Year of the Earth, a UN-backed venture. He lives in London.

Review

For centuries, people have dreamed of lost continents. Today, the author of this fascinating book shows, geologists can detect evidence of a continuing cycle of formation, breakup and reformation of one giant landmass--a supercontinent--over billions of years. Nield, editor of "Geoscientist" magazine, imagines what these supercontinents might have looked like and tells the stories of the scientists who have discovered and studied them...Making highly technical material understandable, Nield explains why "the Earth's Supercontinent Cycle matters to everyone, everywhere."

A fascinating and eye-opening book...In a most engaging way, Nield reveals how science has unraveled the complex evolution of our planet's surface, and presents the reader with a tantalizing glimpse of the Earth of the distant future.

Both informative and entertaining. [Nield] has thought well outside any academic box, touching on a huge diversity of topics...Nield relates many subjects that are currently major foci of research in Earth history to his theme.--Kevin Burke"Science" (11/30/2007)

One of the best popularizations of geology...Giv[es] us a sense of the ancient yet powerful forces underneath us.--P. D. Smith"The Guardian" (10/06/2007)

A book that examines the romance of its subject alongside its hard science... If you don't know much about how the planet's crust works, Nield's book will teach you the basics...He rocks.--Helen Brown"Daily Telegraph" (12/01/2007)

An accessible account of how the Earth has several times consisted of a single island landmass and will again, in about 250 million years.--Peter Calamai"Toronto Star" (12/30/2007)

As a geologist turned science journalist, editor and provocative blogger, Ted Nield has a complex view of life and science. His skills as a writer successfully convey in "Supercontinent" the recent exciting work in grand-scale geoscience to a wide scientific audience...The attempted reconstructions of past and future continents and oceans is a major field of activity in contemporary geoscience. To handle it without oversimplification or getting lost in a maze of detail is no small accomplishment.--David Oldroyd"Nature" (10/04/2007)

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1847080413
• ISBN 13: 9781847080417
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288