Introduction to Earth Science, second edition

Introduction to Earth Science, Second Edition is an open textbook 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 a typical 1000-level university introductory course in the Geosciences, although its contents could be applied to many other related courses.

This text 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. 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.

The sequence of the book differs from mainstream commercial texts. It has been arranged to present elementary or foundational knowledge regarding rocks and minerals prior to discussion of more complex topics in Earth Science. Similar to the layout of the first edition, this book dedicates one chapter to each of the three major rock types, the processes of mass wasting, geological time, Earth history, and the origin of the universe and our Solar System. Additionally, the second edition includes a new chapter on meteorology, and combines the previously separate chapters on deserts and glaciers into a single, comprehensive chapter that explores these extreme environments.

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How to access this book
The main landing page for this book is https://doi.org/10.21061/introearthscience2e.
The PDF and EPUB versions are available to download on the left-hand side of the screen.
An online, interactive, accessible version of this book is available here.
A paperback print version (in color) is available for order here.

ISBNs
ISBN (PDF): 978-1-962841-24-5
ISBN (Pressbooks): 978-1-962841-25-2
ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-962841-23-8
ISBN (print): 978-1-962841-22-1

Table of contents
1. Understanding Science
2. Plate Tectonics
3. Minerals
4. Igneous Processes and Volcanoes
5. Weathering, Erosion, and Sedimentary Rocks
6. Metamorphic Rocks
7. Geologic Time
8. Earth History
9. Crustal Deformation and Earthquakes
10. Mass Wasting
11. Water
12. Earth's Coastlines and Oceans
13. Deserts and Glaciers
14. Meteorology
15. Global Climate Change
16. Energy and Mineral Resources
17. Origin of the Universe and Our Solar System

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About the author
Laura Neser, Ph.D. is an Instructor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech. Dr. Neser earned her B.S. in Geosciences at Virginia Tech in the spring of 2008 and completed her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 2014. Her doctoral research focused on the structural geology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy of formations that were deposited along the flanks of the Beartooth Mountains as they rose during late Paleocene-Eocene time. Dr. Neser has worked as an athletic tutor and online instructor at The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC), in temporary positions as an Adjunct Instructor at Chowan University (Murfreesboro, NC) and Full-Time Lecturer at Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN), and as a Professor at Seminole State College (Sanford, FL) before starting as an Instructor at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2021.

Although she is currently focused on teaching online sections of Introduction to Earth Science, Earth Resources, Society and the Environment, and Climate History, her teaching background is significantly broader and includes Environmental ‬Science, Astronomy, Environmental ‬Ethics, Earth History, Structural Geology, and Field Geology‬.

Project support
Support for content development and project oversight was provided by the Open Education Initiative of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech.

Suggested citation
Neser, Laura (2025). Introduction to Earth Science, Second Edition. Blacksburg: Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.21061/introearthscience2e. Licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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Accessibility
Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The text, images, and links in the PDF version of this text are tagged structurally and include alternative text, which allows for machine readability. We are continuously working to improve accessibility and welcome any feedback from readers.

Cover design: Kindred Grey