Jan Zalasiewicz Books
Jan Zalasiewicz is a British geologist and paleontologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His research focuses on stratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and the geological record of human impact on Earth.
Known for: The Planet in a Pebble: A Journey into Earth's Deep History
Books by Jan Zalasiewicz
The Planet in a Pebble: A Journey into Earth's Deep History
In this book, geologist Jan Zalasiewicz explores Earth's deep history through the story of a single pebble found on a Welsh beach. Using the pebble as a lens, he traces the planet’s geological and biological evolution—from the formation of minerals to the rise of life and the shaping of continents. The narrative combines scientific insight with poetic reflection, revealing how even the smallest stone holds the record of billions of years of planetary change.
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The Pebble’s Composition
When I first examine the pebble, I begin by considering what it is actually made of. Its sandy texture and dull gleam tell me it is a sandstone—a rock composed of countless quartz grains cemented together through time. Each of those grains, a shard of crystallized silica, once formed deep beneath th...
From The Planet in a Pebble: A Journey into Earth's Deep History
Origins in Ancient Oceans
To uncover the pebble’s earlier life, we must imagine a different Earth—one with shallow, tropical seas filled with early marine life and drifting sediments. The grains that now make up my pebble were then suspended in water, moving slowly across the seafloor. Over millions of years, layer upon laye...
From The Planet in a Pebble: A Journey into Earth's Deep History
About Jan Zalasiewicz
Jan Zalasiewicz is a British geologist and paleontologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His research focuses on stratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and the geological record of human impact on Earth. He is also the author of several p...
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Jan Zalasiewicz is a British geologist and paleontologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His research focuses on stratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and the geological record of human impact on Earth. He is also the author of several p...
Jan Zalasiewicz is a British geologist and paleontologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His research focuses on stratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and the geological record of human impact on Earth. He is also the author of several popular science books on geology and Earth history.
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Jan Zalasiewicz is a British geologist and paleontologist, a senior lecturer at the University of Leicester, and a member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His research focuses on stratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and the geological record of human impact on Earth.
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