This new two-volume set comes at a pivotal time in the Earth’s vast history, when the effects of climate change are becoming more obvious by the year, and the public’s interest and awareness of the Earth’s noticeable changes is at an all-time high. These accessible and thought-provoking entries put the Earth’s ongoing changes under the microscope for a revealing and illuminating look at the many interconnected factors that are at play on our planet.

 Starting with the Earth’s formation, readers will discover how the planet has changed over time. Essays explain issues like continental drift and other geophysical changes, address the effects of ongoing changes such as earthquakes and floods, and explain how changing weather and climate patterns affect the planet. Other entries focus on renewable and nonrenewable energy and how they relate to climate change; how different energy sources are based on changing geological processes, like the formation of coal over time, or are the products of such changes like geothermal energy.

All essays end with a list of Further Reading to direct readers to additional sources of information. Full-color images appear throughout the text to enhance accessibility of the information and to provide a visual frame of reference for the many in-depth topics covered.