Includes bibliographical references and index.

"How old is the Earth? Is it really likely to be hit by a meteorite? What can Antarctic ice cores and Milankovich cycles tell us about global warming? What is a Milankovich cycle anyway? Where would you find black smokers? Are they ever likely to be useful? What causes tornadoes? Should you worry if you live near a transform plate boundary? What is the difference between a tidal wave and a tsunami? Does it matter? Can rocks affect your health?" "Answers to these and many similar questions will be found in the Oxford Companion to the Earth. The aim of the Companion is to provide concise and readable accounts of the main phenomena and processes relating to the Earth. Like the other Oxford Companions, it is aimed at a wide readership, and will appeal both to professional Earth scientists seeking an accessible digest of topics outside their own areas of specialization, as well as to the general reader looking for an approachable reference book on our planet and the environment. For all these readers, and many more, the Companion will not only provide a valuable source of reference but also fascinating and informative browsing." "The scope of the Companion is wide: it is concerned with the entire planetary environment on which all living things (ourselves included) depend: the atmosphere and the oceans as well as the solid Earth. And since we can no longer consider the Earth in isolation, information about other parts of the Solar System also finds a place here."--BOOK JACKET.