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description: How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang to the formation of the solar system to the subsequent evolution of Earth.You will travel to the center of our planet and out again charting the geologic forces that churn beneath our feet to push the continents and seafloor around like froth on the surface of soup. Earthquakes volcanic eruptions and tsunamis are byproducts of our planets ceaseless activity and you will focus on specific examples of each to learn why and when they occur. Volcanic activity has produced the atmosphere as a side effect and you will learn how this sea of air functions at the global scale. Earths surface is mostly water and you will explore the cycling of this vital substance throughout the planet along with its role in climate erosion plate tectonics and biology.Not only are humans at the mercy of our planets natural forces but we ourselves have also become agents of change. We are altering the Earths land water and air faster than any other geologic process. This will be another theme of your journey: how humans have transformed watersheds leveled mountains changed the balance of gases in the atmosphere and caused the extinction of enough species to hasten the end of the 65-million-year-old Cenozoic era. It is vitally important that we understand the nature of our geologic powers if we are to have any hope of controlling them.
language: English
title: How the Earth Works
publisher: The Great Courses