Earth's Early Atmosphere and Oceans, and The Origin of Life

Earth's Early Atmosphere and Oceans, and The Origin of Life PDF

Author: George H. Shaw

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-10-07

Total Pages: 117

ISBN-13: 3319219723

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This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the chemical nature of the Earth’s early surface environment and how that led to the origin of life. This includes a detailed discussion of the likely process by which life emerged using as much quantitative information as possible. The emergence of life and the prior surface conditions of the Earth have implications for the evolution of Earth’s surface environment over the following 2-2.5 billion years. The last part of the book discusses how these changes took place and the evidence from the geologic record that supports this particular version of early and evolving conditions.

Astrobiology

Astrobiology PDF

Author: Akihiko Yamagishi

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-02-27

Total Pages: 465

ISBN-13: 9811336393

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This book provides concise and cutting-edge reviews in astrobiology, a young and still emerging multidisciplinary field of science that addresses the fundamental questions of how life originated and diversified on Earth, whether life exists beyond Earth, and what is the future for life on Earth. Readers will find coverage of the latest understanding of a wide range of fascinating topics, including, for example, solar system formation, the origins of life, the history of Earth as revealed by geology, the evolution of intelligence on Earth, the implications of genome data, insights from extremophile research, and the possible existence of life on other planets within and beyond the solar system. Each chapter contains a brief summary of the current status of the topic under discussion, sufficient references to enable more detailed study, and descriptions of recent findings and forthcoming missions or anticipated research. Written by leading experts in astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, chemistry, biology, and physics, this insightful and thought-provoking book will appeal to all students and scientists who are interested in life and space.

The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars

The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars PDF

Author: Robert M. Haberle

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-06-29

Total Pages: 613

ISBN-13: 110817938X

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Humanity has long been fascinated by the planet Mars. Was its climate ever conducive to life? What is the atmosphere like today and why did it change so dramatically over time? Eleven spacecraft have successfully flown to Mars since the Viking mission of the 1970s and early 1980s. These orbiters, landers and rovers have generated vast amounts of data that now span a Martian decade (roughly eighteen years). This new volume brings together the many new ideas about the atmosphere and climate system that have emerged, including the complex interplay of the volatile and dust cycles, the atmosphere-surface interactions that connect them over time, and the diversity of the planet's environment and its complex history. Including tutorials and explanations of complicated ideas, students, researchers and non-specialists alike are able to use this resource to gain a thorough and up-to-date understanding of this most Earth-like of planetary neighbours.

The Search for Life's Origins

The Search for Life's Origins PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1990-02-01

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0309042461

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The field of planetary biology and chemical evolution draws together experts in astronomy, paleobiology, biochemistry, and space science who work together to understand the evolution of living systems. This field has made exciting discoveries that shed light on how organic compounds came together to form self-replicating molecules-the origin of life. This volume updates that progress and offers recommendations on research programs-including an ambitious effort centered on Mars-to advance the field over the next 10 to 15 years. The book presents a wide range of data and research results on these and other issues: The biogenic elements and their interaction in the interstellar clouds and in solar nebulae. Early planetary environments and the conditions that lead to the origin of life. The evolution of cellular and multicellular life. The search for life outside the solar system. This volume will become required reading for anyone involved in the search for life's beginnings-including exobiologists, geoscientists, planetary scientists, and U.S. space and science policymakers.

Evolution of Early Earth's Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere

Evolution of Early Earth's Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere PDF

Author: Stephen E. Kesler

Publisher: Geological Society of America

Published: 2006-01-01

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 0813711983

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"The history of Earth's early atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, from Hadean through Proterozoic time, is one of geology's enduring puzzles. Ore deposits provide important insights into this history because they contain elements and minerals that are highly sensitive to the geochemical environment in which they form. Just what these minerals tell us remains a matter of considerable debate, however. When and how did life develop, an oxygen-rich atmosphere form, and sulfate dominate the ocean? This volume contains reports on these questions from both sides of the aisle for iron and manganese formations, uranium paleoplacers and hydrothermal deposits, and exhalative sulfides and oxides."--Publisher's website.

Atmospheric Science

Atmospheric Science PDF

Author: John M. Wallace

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2006-03-24

Total Pages: 507

ISBN-13: 0080499538

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Atmospheric Science, Second Edition, is the long-awaited update of the classic atmospheric science text, which helped define the field nearly 30 years ago and has served as the cornerstone for most university curricula. Now students and professionals alike can use this updated classic to understand atmospheric phenomena in the context of the latest discoveries, and prepare themselves for more advanced study and real-life problem solving. This latest edition of Atmospheric Science, has been revamped in terms of content and appearance. It contains new chapters on atmospheric chemistry, the Earth system, the atmospheric boundary layer, and climate, as well as enhanced treatment of atmospheric dynamics, radiative transfer, severe storms, and global warming. The authors illustrate concepts with full-color, state-of-the-art imagery and cover a vast amount of new information in the field. Extensive numerical and qualitative exercises help students apply basic physical principles to atmospheric problems. There are also biographical footnotes summarizing the work of key scientists, along with a student companion website that hosts climate data; answers to quantitative exercises; full solutions to selected exercises; skew-T log p chart; related links, appendices; and more. The instructor website features: instructor’s guide; solutions to quantitative exercises; electronic figures from the book; plus supplementary images for use in classroom presentations. Meteorology students at both advanced undergraduate and graduate levels will find this book extremely useful. Full-color satellite imagery and cloud photographs illustrate principles throughout Extensive numerical and qualitative exercises emphasize the application of basic physical principles to problems in the atmospheric sciences Biographical footnotes summarize the lives and work of scientists mentioned in the text, and provide students with a sense of the long history of meteorology Companion website encourages more advanced exploration of text topics: supplementary information, images, and bonus exercises

The Earth's Atmosphere

The Earth's Atmosphere PDF

Author: Kshudiram Saha

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-05-14

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 3540784276

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The author has sought to incorporate in the book some of the fundamental concepts and principles of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere, a knowledge and understanding of which should help an average student of science to comprehend some of the great complexities of the earth-atmosphere system, in which a thr- way interaction between the atmosphere, the land and the ocean tends to maintain an overall mass and energy balance in the system through physical and dynamical processes. The book, divided into two parts and consisting of 19 chapters, introduces only those aspects of the subject that, according to the author, are deemed essential to meet the objective in view. The emphasis is more on clarity and understanding of physical and dynamical principles than on details of complex theories and ma- ematics. Attempt is made to treat each subject from ?rst principles and trace its development to present state, as far as possible. However, a knowledge of basic c- culus and differential equations is sine qua non especially for some of the chapters which appear later in the book.