Usborne Internet-linked encyclopedia of planet earth / Anna Claybourne, Gillian Doherty and Rebecca Treays ; designed by Laura Fearn and Melissa Alaverdy ; consultant, Dr. William Chambers ; managing designer, Stephen Wright, managing editors, Felicity Brooks and Jane Chisholm ; cover design, Zoe Wray and Sarah Cronin ; digital images, John Russell and Nicola Butler ; picture research, Ruth King.

"First published in America in 2000"--P. 160.

Includes index.

Planet earth: Earth in space -- Looking at the earth -- Seasons -- Day and night -- Inside the earth -- Earth's crust -- Rocks, minerals and fossils -- Earth's resources -- Energy from the earth -- Earthquakes and volcanoes: Exploding earth -- Volcanic variations -- Natural hot water -- Volcanic islands -- Living with volcanoes -- Earthquake effects -- How earthquakes happen -- Earthquake safety -- Giant waves -- Climate: Earth's atmosphere -- Air and ocean currents -- Natural cycles -- Global warming -- World climates -- Rainforests -- Tropical grasslands -- Monsoons -- Tropical deserts -- Mediterranean climates -- Temperate climates -- Polar regions -- Mountains -- Changing climates -- Weather: What is weather? -- Water and clouds -- Thunderstorms -- Windstorms -- Floods and droughts -- Freezing and frying -- Strange weather -- Weather forecasting -- Plants and animals: Plant life on earth -- Animal life on earth -- Ecosystems -- People and ecosystems -- Population -- Farming -- Farming methods -- Shaping the land: Soil -- Looking after soil -- Weathering -- Erosion -- Rivers and oceans: Rivers -- River erosion -- Using rivers -- Water in the ground -- Rivers of ice -- Edge of the sea -- Seas and oceans -- Using seas and oceans -- Useful information -- Glossary -- Maps and lines -- The earth's cycles -- Sciences and scientists -- World records -- Measurements -- Internet links -- Index -- Acknowledgements.

This stunningly illustrated book explores the secrets of our dynamic Earth. Find out: - What lies at the heart of our planet- How seas, rivers and glaciers shape the landscape- Why thunderstorms, hurricanes and ice storms happen- How plants and animals depend on one another.