Introduction

Introduction to Earth Science, Second Edition is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to Earth Science that can be freely accessed online, read offline, printed, or purchased as a print-on-demand book. It is intended for typical 1000-level university introductory courses in the Geosciences, although its contents could be applied to many other related courses. The first edition of this textbook was an amalgamation of existing open-source textbooks (An Introduction to Geology from Salt Lake Community College, Physical Geology from BCcampus, and Astronomy by OpenStax), and this second edition includes additional material from existing open-source textbooks (Physical Geography and Natural Disasters from Salt Lake Community College, Dynamic Planet: Exploring Geological Disasters and Environmental Change from Maricopa Community College, and Principles of Earth Science from Open Oregon Educational Resources). It has been customized to match the Pathways General Education Curriculum at Virginia Tech with a focus on Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) from Pathways’ Concept 4: Reasoning in the Natural Sciences.

The sequence of chapters in this book may differ from a typical commercial publisher’s introductory Earth Science textbook. Selected concepts in the book have been reorganized to summarize elementary or foundation topics prior to discussion of more complex topics. Although a foundational knowledge of minerals and rocks is essential in an introductory Earth Science course, all three rock classifications are often bundled into a single “Rocks” chapter; since the classifications vary extensively in the way they form and their overall features, this textbook gives the three major rock types their own dedicated chapters. A similar issue occurs with mass wasting, which is usually included as a small section within an overall “Water” chapter, but in the geosciences, mass wasting is an important surficial process that moves material across the surface of Earth. Therefore, mass wasting has received its own full chapter. Geologic time is commonly paired with Earth history, but both topics are uniquely important parts of a foundational knowledge of Earth, and as such, each topic has its own chapter.

This textbook includes a chapter dedicated to the origin of the universe and our Solar System. Many existing introductory Earth Science books lack a chapter dedicated to astronomy and the Solar System. Understanding our Solar System is important for a variety of reasons: it contains the only known example of a habitable planet, the only star that is observable close-up, and the only planets we can visit with modern technology such as satellites, probes, and landers. Knowledge of Earth’s place within the Solar System is essential to understanding the origin of planets, along with the conditions that allow life to exist on Earth.

This second edition of the textbook features several additions to enhance its scope and relevance. Chapter 12, previously titled “Coastlines,” has been renamed “Earth’s Coastlines and Oceans” and now has a new dedicated section on ocean water properties, exploring salinity, density, and ocean layering, along with a section focused on the ocean floor, including mapping techniques and the classification of oceanic provinces. Chapter 16 (“Energy and Mineral Resources”) now includes a comprehensive discussion on renewable energy resources, covering solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass energy. Chapter 17 (“Origin of the Universe and Our Solar System”) has been expanded to address the search for life beyond Earth, delving into topics such as Mars exploration, the outer Solar System, exoplanets, and interstellar communication. Updates to Chapter 15 (“Global Climate Change”) incorporate the latest climate change data and provide information on key climate organizations and international treaties. To streamline the content, the former Chapters 13 and 14 (“Deserts” and “Glaciers,” respectively), have been combined into a single chapter titled “Deserts and Glaciers.” Lastly, a brand new chapter dedicated to meteorology and severe weather has been added (Chapter 14: “Meteorology”), offering in-depth coverage of these critical topics. The Version Notes at the end of this textbook provide more detailed information on the changes made between the first and second editions.

This open-source textbook includes various important features designed to enhance the student learning experience in introductory Earth Science courses. These include a multitude of high-quality figures and images within each chapter that help to clarify key concepts and are optimized for viewing online. Self-test assessment questions are embedded in each online chapter that help students focus their learning. QR codes are provided for each assessment to allow students using print or PDF versions to easily access the quiz from an internet-capable device of their choice. Selected graphics and tables have been replaced or updated to enhance quality and clarity.