Containing more than 6,000 entries, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Earth Sciences covers all of the earth sciences, and is the most detailed, authoritative, and up-to-date dictionary of its kind. It has been compiled with the help of over 30 specialist contributors and advisers, and its scope is worldwide. The dictionary covers terms from climatology, economic geology, geochemistry, mineralogy, oceanography, palaeontology, petrology, and volcanology, amongst many other scientific disciplines. It also contains brief biographical notes about some of the most important figures in the history of the earth sciences. Because it gives equal weight to all the earth sciences, the dictionary will be of particular help to students, including those on interdisciplinary courses who study one or more of the earth sciences on their syllabus. It will also be invaluable to non-scientists who wish to know the meaning of such technical terms as `aa', `epeirogenesis', `mother cloud', `protostar', `rip-rap', `vug', and ` Zosterophyllum' . This book is intended for students and teachers of the earth sciences, but also of interdisciplinary courses such as environmental sciences. Also non-scientists interested in the environment or other earth science disciplines (such as members of local zoological societies).