Mark Williams (14)

Zalasiewicz and Williams try to cover a truly vast subject - the origin, history, present state, and future of Earth's oceans; the possible vanished seas of Venus and Mars; the subsurface water layers of various bodies of the outer solar system; the hydrocarbon lakes of Titan; and the hypothetical water masses of extrasolar planets - in a compact (336pp) and accessible package. They succeed quite well I think: there is, of course, a near infinity of further detail that could have been added, show more but by keeping largely to the big picture the authors provide an excellent introduction to the present state of knowledge about seas on Earth and elsewhere. show less

From the blurb:

"Water, water everywhere?

So it would seem, and not ust on our home planet, but across the Universe, In this exciting exploration of oceans, Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Willimas take us to the beginnings of oceans on the hot, young Earth and show the critical role oceans have played in plate tectonics, in the development of the Earth's climate, and in the evolution of life on the planet. There is much we still have to learn about the depths of our wold;s oceans.

Beyond the show more Earth, we explore possible oceans past on Mars and Venus, the ocean below the icy carapace of Euopa, and the water jets of Enceladus. Will the Earth become another Mars or Venus in the future, when its oceans have boiled away? Do the oceans of Saturn's moons harbour life - at least microbial life? And the tantalizing possibility of finding another Earth-like world with oceans beckons. Understanding oceans is central to understanding our planet, managing its future, and seeking life on other worlds."

Ocean Worlds is a well written science book that covers information and theories about the history, evolution and future development of the Earth's oceans, and then takes a look at other ocean worlds. In short, the book is as described on the "tin". The narrative is clearly written, fast paced and easy to understand but not overly simplified. Numerous illustrations, diagrams and colour photographs are included. show less

Convenient overview of the discussion on the Anthropocene. Perfect for use in courses.