Fire plays a key role in Earth system processes. Wildfires influence the carbon cycle and the nutrient balance of our planet, and may even play a role in regulating the oxygen content of our atmosphere. The evolutionary history of plants has been intimately tied to fire and this in part explains the distribution of our ecosystems and their ability to withstand the effects of natural fires today. Fire Phenomena and the Earth System brings together the various subdisciplines within fire science to provide a synthesis of our understanding of the role of wildfire in the Earth system. The book shows how knowledge of fire phenomena and the nature of combustion of natural fuels can be used to understand modern wildfires, interpret fire events in the geological record and to understand the role of fire in a variety of Earth system processes. By bringing together chapters written by leading international researchers from a range of geological, environmental, chemical and engineering disciplines, the book will stimulate the exchange of ideas and knowledge across these subject areas. Fire Phenomena and the Earth System provides a truly interdisciplinary guide that can inform us about Earth’s past, present and beyond. Readership: Advanced students and researchers across a wide range of earth, environmental and life sciences, including biogeochemistry, paleoclimatology, atmospheric science, palaeontology and paleoecology, combustion science, ecology and forestry.

Nature is a powerful force, and what it does and how and why it does it provides extraordinary insights into the world in which we live. Red rain, candy-striped icebergs, marine fossils far from the sea, rocks that bend, rivers that run backwards and mountains that move -- Earth is full of intriguing natural phenomena. Some are bizarre, some are beautiful, some are deadly. Most are puzzling and little understood. In this spectacular book are the fascinating stories behind 200 rare and mysterious natural occurrences.

An engaging and beautifully presented guide to nature's most theatrical and mysterious events. From optical phenomena such as rainbows and light pillars, to celestial phenomena like eclipses and the aurora borealis, it explores a wide range of natural wonders, describing each one in detail and explaining the science behind them.