River Planet introduces readers to the epic geological history of the
world's rivers, from the first drop of rain on the Earth to the modern
environmental crisis.
The river journey begins with the first evidence of flowing water four
billion years ago and continues with enormous rivers on the first
supercontinents, after which terrestrial vegetation engineered new river
forms in the Devonian period. The dramatic breakup of Pangea some 200
million years ago led to our familiar modern rivers as continents
drifted and collided, mountains rose, and plains tilted. Among many
remarkable cases, the book explores the rapid carving of the Grand
Canyon, the reversal of the Amazon, and the lost rivers of Antarctica.
There are gigantic meltwater floods from the Ice Age, which may be
linked to accounts of the Deluge, and river systems drowned by rising
sea level as the ice melted. Early human civilizations sought to control
rivers through agriculture and irrigation, leading in the nineteenth
century to hydraulic mining, the rise of big dams, and the burial of
rivers below cities such as London. Rivers are now endangered worldwide,
and the book celebrates people who preserve rivers around the world,
bringing hope to river ecosystems and communities.
River Planet is designed to be accessible for a general audience
ranging from advanced high-school students to mature readers. The book
will also interest professional scientists and students of geology,
geography, and environmental science.
