This handsome reference volume combines text, color photos, and vivid illustrations to describe the Earth's land and water formations. It explains the action of tectonic plates and the formation of the Earth's continents, and continues with descriptions of rock and crystal formations, volcanic activity, and climatology. Sections that follow explain the science of modern weather forecasting, show life forms in the oceans, and summarize the natural formation of earth features, which include mountains, rivers, glaciers, deserts, and rain forests. This book concludes with sections describing human effects on the planet and giving a brief history of map-making. Here is the newest title in Barron's valuable series of science atlases, designed for home, classroom, and library.