tailieunhanh - WORLD of EARTH SCIENCE - K. Lee Lerner

As of June 2002, astronomers had discovered more than 100 other planets orbiting distant suns. With advances in tech- nology, that number will surely increase during the opening decades of the twenty-first century. Although our explorations of the Cosmos hold great promise of future discoveries, among all of the known worlds, Earth remains unique. Thus far it is the only known planet with blue skies, warm seas, and life. Earth is our most tangible and insightful laboratory, and the study of Earth science offers us precious opportunities to discover many of the most fundamental laws of the Universe | EARTH SCDICE WORLD of K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner Editors Volume 2 M-Z GALE GROUP --------------------- THOMSON LEARNING Detroit New York San Diego San Francisco Boston New Haven Conn. Waterville Maine London Munich THOMSON GALE World of Earth Science K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner Project Editor Ryan L. Thomason Permissions Shalice Shah-Caldwell Product Design Michael Logusz Tracey Rowens Editorial Deirdre S. Blanchfield Madeline Harris Kate Kretschmann Michael D. Lesniak Kimberley A. McGrath Brigham Narins Mark Springer Imaging and Multimedia Robert Duncan Leitha Etheridge-Sims Lezlie Light Kelly A. Quin Barbara J. Yarrow Manufacturing Wendy Blurton Evi Seoud 2003 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group Inc. a division of Thomson Learning Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license. For more information contact The Gale Group Inc. 27500 Drake Rd. Farmington Hills MI 48331-3535 Or you can visit our Internet site at http ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording taping Web distribution or information storage retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher. For permission to use material from this product submit your request via Web at http permissions or you may download our Permissions Request form and submit your request by fax or mail to The Gale Group Inc. Permissions Department 27500 Drake Road Farmington Hills MI 48331-3535 Permissions hotline 248-699-8074 or 800-877-4253 ext. 8006 Fax 248-699-8074 or 800-762-4058. While every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information presented in this publication The Gale Group Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of the data contained herein. The Gale Group Inc. accepts no payment for listing and inclusion in the publication of any .