Download or read book Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds written by David C. Catling and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-13 with total page 595 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive and authoritative text on the formation and evolution of planetary atmospheres, for graduate-level students and researchers.

Download or read book Venus II geology Geophysics Atmosphere and Solar Wind Environment written by Stephen Wesley Bougher and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 1997-12 with total page 1384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final orbit of Venus by the Magellan spacecraft in October 1994 brought to a close an exciting period of Venus reconnaissance and exploration. The scientific studies resulting from data collected by the Magellan, Galileo, and Pioneer missions are unprecedented in their detail for any planet except Earth. Venus II re-evaluates initial assessments of Venus in light of these and other spacecraft missions and ground-based observations conducted over the past 30 years. More than a hundred contributors summarize our current knowledge of the planet, consider points of disagreement in interpretation, and identify priorities for future research. Topics addressed include geology, surface processes, volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, geodynamics, upper and lower atmospheres, and solar wind environment. The diversity of the coverage reflects the interdisciplinary nature of Venus science and the breadth of knowledge that has contributed to it. A CD-ROM developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory accompanies the book and incorporates text, graphics, video, software, and various digital products from selected contributors to the text. A multimedia interface allows users to navigate the text and the extensive databases included on the disk. Venus II is the most authoritative single volume available on the second planet. Its contents will not only help shape the goals of future Venus missions but will also enhance our understanding of current Mars explorations.

Download or read book Venus Revealed written by David H. Grinspoon and published by Addison Wesley Publishing Company. This book was released on 1997-01-05 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Early robot probes sent by Russian and American scientists had given us some tantalizing but fragmentary glimpses of the surface and atmosphere, hinting at some of the most exotic conditions seen in the solar system. Magellan showed a planet full of beautiful landscapes, some eerily familiar and some completely unexpected - a world of active volcanoes, shining mountains, and even river valleys carved by torrents of flowing lava. Venus may once have had a wet, temperate, comfortable climate, much like Earth's. What happened to turn it into a hostile, burning, acid world? Our twin has important tales to tell us regarding several of Earth's most pressing environmental problems, including ozone destruction, global warming, and acid rain. In Venus Revealed, David Grinspoon makes a compelling case for comparative planetology as an important tool for gaining knowledge that is vital for our long-term survival on our own planet. He re-examines the uniqueness of our own Earth in light of the recent Magellan findings, while also raising the provocative questions: Did a runaway greenhouse effect transform Venus into the burning oven she is today? By treating Venus as a "controlled experiment," what can we learn from her that will help us survive on Earth? Grinspoon tackles these and other long-debated questions while explaining the incredible scientific advances made possible by the Magellan space probe."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Download or read book Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013 2022 written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-01-30 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon's poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which life could have emerged. Liquid methane rain falls on Saturn's moon Titan, creating rivers, lakes, and geologic landscapes with uncanny resemblances to Earth's. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 surveys the current state of knowledge of the solar system and recommends a suite of planetary science flagship missions for the decade 2013-2022 that could provide a steady stream of important new discoveries about the solar system. Research priorities defined in the report were selected through a rigorous review that included input from five expert panels. NASA's highest priority large mission should be the Mars Astrobiology Explorer Cacher (MAX-C), a mission to Mars that could help determine whether the planet ever supported life and could also help answer questions about its geologic and climatic history. Other projects should include a mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean, and the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission to investigate that planet's interior structure, atmosphere, and composition. For medium-size missions, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 recommends that NASA select two new missions to be included in its New Frontiers program, which explores the solar system with frequent, mid-size spacecraft missions. If NASA cannot stay within budget for any of these proposed flagship projects, it should focus on smaller, less expensive missions first. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 suggests that the National Science Foundation expand its funding for existing laboratories and establish new facilities as needed. It also recommends that the program enlist the participation of international partners. This report is a vital resource for government agencies supporting space science, the planetary science community, and the public.

Download or read book Light of the Stars Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth written by Adam Frank and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science "A valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time." —Adam Becker, NPR Light of the Stars tells the story of humanity’s coming of age as we realize we might not be alone in this universe. Astrophysicist Adam Frank traces the question of alien life from the ancient Greeks to modern thinkers, and he demonstrates that recognizing the possibility of its existence might be the key to save us from climate change. With clarity and conviction, Light of the Stars asks the consequential question: What can the likely presence of life on other planets tell us about our own fate?

Download or read book Worlds in Collision written by and published by Paradigma Ltd. This book was released on with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With this book Immanuel Velikovsky first presented the revolutionary results of his 10-year-long interdisciplinary research to the public, founded modern catastrophism - based on eyewitness reports by our ancestors - shook the doctrine of uniformity of geology as well as Darwin's theory of evolution, put our view of the history of our solar system, of the Earth and of humanity on a completely new basis - and caused an uproar that is still going on today. Worlds in Collision - written in a brilliant, easily understandable and entertaining style and full to the brim with precise information - can be considered one of the most important and most challenging books in the history of science. Not without reason was this book found open on Einstein's desk after his death. For all those who have ever wondered about the evolution of the earth, the history of mankind, traditions, religions, mythology or just the world as it is today, Worlds in Collision is an absolute MUST-READ!

Download or read book Super Volcanoes What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond written by Robin George Andrews and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2021-11-02 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exhilarating, time-traveling journey to the solar system’s strangest and most awe-inspiring volcanoes. Volcanoes are capable of acts of pyrotechnical prowess verging on magic: they spout black magma more fluid than water, create shimmering cities of glass at the bottom of the ocean and frozen lakes of lava on the moon, and can even tip entire planets over. Between lava that melts and re-forms the landscape, and noxious volcanic gases that poison the atmosphere, volcanoes have threatened life on Earth countless times in our planet’s history. Yet despite their reputation for destruction, volcanoes are inseparable from the creation of our planet. A lively and utterly fascinating guide to these geologic wonders, Super Volcanoes revels in the incomparable power of volcanic eruptions past and present, Earthbound and otherwise—and recounts the daring and sometimes death-defying careers of the scientists who study them. Science journalist and volcanologist Robin George Andrews explores how these eruptions reveal secrets about the worlds to which they belong, describing the stunning ways in which volcanoes can sculpt the sea, land, and sky, and even influence the machinery that makes or breaks the existence of life. Walking us through the mechanics of some of the most infamous eruptions on Earth, Andrews outlines what we know about how volcanoes form, erupt, and evolve, as well as what scientists are still trying to puzzle out. How can we better predict when a deadly eruption will occur—and protect communities in the danger zone? Is Earth’s system of plate tectonics, unique in the solar system, the best way to forge a planet that supports life? And if life can survive and even thrive in Earth’s extreme volcanic environments—superhot, superacidic, and supersaline surroundings previously thought to be completely inhospitable—where else in the universe might we find it? Traveling from Hawai‘i, Yellowstone, Tanzania, and the ocean floor to the moon, Venus, and Mars, Andrews illuminates the cutting-edge discoveries and lingering scientific mysteries surrounding these phenomenal forces of nature.

Download or read book The Planet Venus written by Michail Ja Marov and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 475 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shrouded by the thick clouds of hot, dense atmosphere, the planet Venus - Earth's closest neighbour in space - remained mysterious until recent decades. Today, with data from contemporary observations and from Russian and American spacecraft, Venus has moved into sharper focus. This comprehensive book provides an up-to-date and detailed analysis of the nature of Venus. The authors, experts in planetary science from Russia and the United States, examine all the principal aspects of Venus, with particular attention paid to the planet's formation, the development of a runaway greenhouse effect, and Venus' evolution into a planet completely different from others in our solar system. Integrating data from Galileo, Magellan, Pioneer-Venus, Venera sand other space missions, this book summarizes the history of Venus, covers the atmosphere, geomorphology and tectonic history of the planet, and considers its geology.

Download or read book Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos written by Dennis Overbye and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2021-12-21 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award: the "intensely exciting" story of a group of brilliant scientists who set out to answer the deepest questions about the origin of the universe and changed the course of physics and astronomy forever (Newsday). In southern California, nearly a half century ago, a small band of researchers — equipped with a new 200-inch telescope and a faith born of scientific optimism — embarked on the greatest intellectual adventure in the history of humankind: the search for the origin and fate of the universe. Their quest would eventually engulf all of physics and astronomy, leading not only to the discovery of quasars, black holes, and shadow matter but also to fame, controversy, and Nobel Prizes. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos tells the story of the men and women who have taken eternity on their shoulders and stormed nature in search of answers to the deepest questions we know to ask. "Written with such wit and verve that it is hard not to zip through in one sitting." —Washington Post

Download or read book Planetary Atmospheres written by and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Discovery of Global Warming written by Spencer R. Weart and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2001 a panel representing virtually all the world's governments and climate scientists announced that they had reached a consensus: the world was warming at a rate without precedent during at least the last ten millennia, and that warming was caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases from human activity. The consensus itself was at least a century in the making. The story of how scientists reached their conclusion--by way of unexpected twists and turns and in the face of formidable intellectual, financial, and political obstacles--is told for the first time in The Discovery of Global Warming. Spencer R. Weart lucidly explains the emerging science, introduces us to the major players, and shows us how the Earth's irreducibly complicated climate system was mirrored by the global scientific community that studied it. Unlike familiar tales of Science Triumphant, this book portrays scientists working on bits and pieces of a topic so complex that they could never achieve full certainty--yet so important to human survival that provisional answers were essential. Weart unsparingly depicts the conflicts and mistakes, and how they sometimes led to fruitful results. His book reminds us that scientists do not work in isolation, but interact in crucial ways with the political system and with the general public. The book not only reveals the history of global warming, but also analyzes the nature of modern scientific work as it confronts the most difficult questions about the Earth's future. Table of Contents: Preface 1. How Could Climate Change? 2. Discovering a Possibility 3. A Delicate System 4. A Visible Threat 5. Public Warnings 6. The Erratic Beast 7. Breaking into Politics 8. The Discovery Confirmed Reflections Milestones Notes Further Reading Index Reviews of this book: A soberly written synthesis of science and politics. --Gilbert Taylor, Booklist Reviews of this book: Charting the evolution and confirmation of the theory [of global warming], Spencer R. Weart, director of the Center for the History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics, dissects the interwoven threads of research and reveals the political and societal subtexts that colored scientists' views and the public reception their work received. --Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times Book Review Reviews of this book: It took a century for scientists to agree that gases produced by human activity were causing the world to warm up. Now, in an engaging book that reads like a detective story, physicist Weart reports the history of global warming theory, including the internal conflicts plaguing the research community and the role government has had in promoting climate studies. --Publishers Weekly Reviews of this book: It is almost two centuries since the French mathematician Jean Baptiste Fourier discovered that the Earth was far warmer than it had any right to be, given its distance from the Sun...Spencer Weart's book about how Fourier's initially inconsequential discovery finally triggered urgent debate about the future habitability of the Earth is lucid, painstaking and commendably brief, packing everything into 200 pages. --Fred Pearce, The Independent Reviews of this book: [The Discovery of Global Warming] is a well-written, well-researched and well-balanced account of the issues involved...This is not a sermon for the faithful, or verses from Revelation for the evangelicals, but a serious summary for those who like reasoned argument. Read it--and be converted. --John Emsley, Times Literary Supplement Reviews of this book: This is a terrific book...Perhaps the finest compliment I could give this book is to report that I intend to use it instead of my own book...for my climate class. The Discovery of Global Warming is more up-to-date, better balanced historically, beautifully written and, not least important, short and to the point. I think the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] needs to enlist a few good historians like Weart for its next assessment. --Stephen H. Schneider, Nature Reviews of this book: This short, well-written book by a science historian at the American Institute of Physics adds a serious voice to the overheated debate about global warming and would serve as a great starting point for anyone who wants to better understand the issue. --Maureen Christie, American Scientist Reviews of this book: I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Spencer Weart's account provides much valuable and interesting material about how the discipline developed--not just from the perspective of climate science but also within the context of the field's relation to other scientific disciplines, the media, political trends, and even 20th-century history (particularly the Cold War). In addition, Weart has done a valuable service by recording for posterity background information on some of the key discoveries and historical figures who contributed to our present understanding of the global warming problem. --Thomas J. Crowley, Science Reviews of this book: Weart has done us all a service by bringing the discovery of global warming into a short, compendious and persuasive book for a general readership. He is especially strong on the early days and the scientific background. --Crispin Tickell, Times Higher Education Supplement A Capricious Beast Ever since the days when he had trudged around fossil lake basins in Nevada for his doctoral thesis, Wally Broecker had been interested in sudden climate shifts. The reported sudden jumps of CO2 in Greenland ice cores stimulated him to put this interest into conjunction with his oceanographic interests. The result was a surprising and important calculation. The key was what Broecker later described as a "great conveyor belt'"of seawater carrying heat northward. . . . The energy carried to the neighborhood of Iceland was "staggering," Broecker realized, nearly a third as much as the Sun sheds upon the entire North Atlantic. If something were to shut down the conveyor, climate would change across much of the Northern Hemisphere' There was reason to believe a shutdown could happen swiftly. In many regions the consequences for climate would be spectacular. Broecker was foremost in taking this disagreeable news to the public. In 1987 he wrote that we had been treating the greenhouse effect as a 'cocktail hour curiosity,' but now 'we must view it as a threat to human beings and wildlife.' The climate system was a capricious beast, he said, and we were poking it with a sharp stick. I found the book enjoyable, thoughtful, and an excellent introduction to the history of what may be one of the most important subjects of the next one hundred years. --Clark Miller, University of Wisconsin The Discovery of Global Warming raises important scientific issues and topics and includes essential detail. Readers should be able to follow the discussion and emerge at the end with a good understanding of how scientists have developed a consensus on global warming, what it is, and what issues now face human society. --Thomas R. Dunlap, Texas A&M University

Download or read book The Scientific Exploration of Venus written by F. W. Taylor and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-09-22 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A leading Venus researcher explains in a friendly non-technical style what we know through our investigations of Earth's 'twin' planet.

Download or read book Photochemistry of the Atmospheres of Mars and Venus written by Vladimir A. Krasnopolsky and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-12-06 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spacecraft study of the Solar system is one of humanity's most outstanding achievements. Thanks to this study, our present knowledge of properties of and conditions on the planets exceeds many-fold that of 20 years ago: planets have been rediscovered. This is especially the case for planetary atmospheres, whose properties were for the most part either not at all or only erroneously known. Much research has been invested in the study of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus, and their chemical composition and photochemistry are basic problems in these studies. In the present publication I have tried to summarize all findings in this field. The English version of the book includes new data in the field from the last 3 years since the book was published in Russian. I wish to thank U. von Zahn, who initiated my talks with Springer-Verlag and acted as technical editor. December 2, 1985 V. A. KRASNOPOLSKY Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Chemical Composition and Structure of the Martian Atmosphere 4 1. 1 Carbon Dioxide and Atmospheric Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1. 2 CO and O Mixing Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2 1. 3 Ozone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1. 4 Water Vapor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1. 5 Composition of the Upper Atmosphere as Determined from Airglow Spectroscopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1. 6 Mass Spectrometric Measurements of the Atmospheric Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1. 7 Ionospheric Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 1. 8 Temperature Profile of the Lower Atmosphere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 1. 9 Temperature of the Upper Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 1. 10 Eddy Diffusion Coefficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 2 Photochemistry of the Martian Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Download or read book Recent Advances in Planetary Meteorology written by Garry E. Hunt and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1985 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This landmark volume assembles seven invited and original papers by well known workers in the field of planetary meteorology which, as a discipline, is now contributing to a better understanding of the Earth's atmosphere. The topics covered illustrate the current level of interaction between studies of the atmospheres of the Earth and planets. An important feature of the book is the description of planetary atmospheres on a comparative basis.

Download or read book The Martian Chronicles written by Ray Bradbury and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-04-17 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tranquility of Mars is disrupted by humans who want to conquer space, colonize the planet, and escape a doomed Earth.

Download or read book The Venus Atmosphere written by American Meteorological Society and published by M.E. Sharpe. This book was released on 1969 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Atlas of Venus written by Peter John Cattermole and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-05-28 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Venus, closest planet to the Earth, is a torrid world of extremes shrouded from direct view by dense clouds. This Atlas of Venus shows all the fascinating detail discovered on the recent Magellan mission to map the planet surface. Giving the historical background to our perception of the planet, this book clearly explains why Venus has been the goal of so many missions by both Russian and American space programmes. With the latest images from the Magellan mission, this colourful Atlas shows the beautiful landscape of Venus and its dynamic volcanism. Over 100 maps and illustrations show the dramatic beauty of this photogenic planet. Complete with detailed maps of the planet and a gazetteer of all landmarks, this is the essential reference source for all professional and amateur astronomers, and planetary scientists interested in our closest neighbour.