Evolution is one of the fundamental underlying concepts of modern science. This powerful theory explains such phenomena as the history of life preserved in the fossil record; the genetic, molecular, and physical similarities and differences among organisms; and the geographic distribution of organisms today and in the past. Indeed, evolution forms the foundation of modern biology and paleontology and is well documented by evidence from a variety of scientific disciplines. <...>

Science progresses by continuous testing of theories. Today, the Earth sciences are intertwined with both economic and social policies in a complex world, more so than most of us could ever have imagined. Challenging the first principles of science and developing alternative explanations for observations are inherent in geological science, but seem to have been ignored when addressing concepts that have social and financial repercussions, such as climate change, environmental degradation, and catastrophic Earth events. Floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides—all are demanding political and policy attention.  Sorohktin, Chilingar, and Sorohktin are meeting that challenge with a book that documents the basis of the Earth sciences and prepares the reader to make better informed decisions about Earth-processrelated problems <...>

This book is a tribute to a prodigibus man, Henry Stommel, on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, September 27, 1980. In the course of his scientific career, his influence on the development of physical oceanography during nearly four decades has been immense.

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms to appear in the 3-billion-year history of life on Earth, and the most ecologically dominant animals on land. This book chronicles, for the first time, the complete evolutionary history of insects: their living diversity, relationships, and 400 million years of fossils. Whereas other volumes have focused on either living species or fossils, this is the first comprehensive synthesis of all aspects of insect evolution. Current estimates of phylogeny are used to interpret the 400-million-year fossil record of insects, their extinctions, and radiations.