• Part One: Basic Concepts for Earth System Science1. Introduction: Biogeochemical Cycles as Fundamental Constructs for Studying Earth System Science and Global Change. 2. The Origin and Early Evolution of the Earth. 3. Evolution and the Biosphere. 4. Modeling Biogeochemical Cycles. 5. Equilibrium, Rate, and Natural Systems. Part Two: Properties of and Transfers between the Key Reservoirs6. Water and the Hydrosphere. 7. The Atmosphere. 8. Soils, Watershed Processes, and Marine Sediments. 9. Tectonic Processes and Erosion. 10. The Oceans. Part Three: Biogeochemical Cycles11. The Global Carbon Cycle. 12. The Nitrogen Cycle. 13. The Sulfur Cycle. 14. The Phosphorus Cycle. 15. Trace Metals. Part Four: Integration16. Acid-Base & Oxidation-Reduction Balances of the Earth. 17. The Coupling of Biogeochemical Cycles and Climate: Forcings, Feedbacks, and Responses. 18. Ice Sheets & the Ice-Core Record of Climate Change. 19. Human Modification of the Earth System: Global Change. Answers to Questions. Index.

"Anyone fascinated by natural phenomena and concerned about the state of the planet will treasure this work.... It is the first place to turn when needing answers to such questions as "How much water is in the ocean?", ... "What is the annual sediment load to the sea?" It also includes many of the equations used to calculate process rates and transfers between reservoirs."--Prof. Suzanne N. Levine, Aiken Center, Burlington, Vermont