This self-contained handbook provides a carefully researched, compact source of key earth science information and data, logically sorted by subject matter, and then cross-referenced. Appealing to both experts and non-experts alike, the book presents earth science and environmental science as closely intertwined. It includes tables of the global distributions of fossil fuels, contrasted by tables of the distribution of non-fossil energy sources. Concise explanations cover the subject matters of geology, geophysics, oceans, atmosphere with attention to environmental implications and resources.

Jane Helen Hodgkinson was born and brought up in London and, following her early education, began a career in merchant banking and the commodity markets. Seeking intellectual stimulation, she undertook a degree course in geology on an evening and part-time basis at Birkbeck College, London. This was a highly successful move and she graduated with first class honours in 2003, setting herself up for her second career, as a geologist. Seeing opportunities in Australia, she undertook a PhD at the Queensland University of Technology, completed in 2008, and was appointed to CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, as a research geologist. Much of her work has been concerned with the problems and opportunities presented to the mining industry by climate change and to a study of the CO2 geosequestration potential of Queensland geology.

Frank Donald Stacey was born and educated in London, with BSc (hons physics) 1950, PhD 1953, DSc 1968. Following appointments at the University of British Columbia, the Australian National University and the Meteorological Office research unit in Cambridge, he joined the University of Queensland, becoming Professor of Applied Physics in 1971. Since 1956, all his research has been in geophysics, initially as an experimenter in rock magnetism and subsequently in a range of other subjects, with an increasing theoretical interest. He is most widely known for his textbook, Physics of the Earth, which is now in its fourth edition. Retiring from the university in 1996, he joined CSIRO as honorary fellow, to continue fundamental research, especially applications of thermodynamics to the Earth.

This is the authors' second joint book. The first presented a global perspective on the environment: 'The Earth as a Cradle for Life: the origin, evolution and future of the environment' (World Scientific, 2013).