The combination of continents, oceans, and atmosphere makes Earth unique among all the planets in the solar system, and perhaps in the galaxy. These features also create the conditions for life in all its diversity. But where did the land, water, and air come from? And how do these systems work together to produce the complex phenomena that are evident everywhere on this beautiful planet? How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space, from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.

But the wonders of the Earth are not only found in the depths of the oceans or the vastness of the continents—they are all around you. Wherever you live or travel, geology is everywhere. Learn how to read the rocks and landscape, and how to appreciate the "deep time" that governs a geologist's sweeping perspective. Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology is your initiation into the geological world that lies just outside your door. It introduces you to physical geology, the study of Earth's minerals, rocks, soils, and the processes that operate on them through time.