The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World

Qa International Collectif

Description

Almost 40,000 tons of meteorites fall to Earth each year…
A living fossil is discovered off the coast of South Africa…
The swirling wind becomes a devastating tornado that destroys everything in its path…
A killer whale dives 3,000 meters to gulp down a giant squid…
Marvel at our universe, with its billions of galaxies and the planets of our solar system. Explore Earth and all its breathtaking landscapes. Take a front-row seat at the impressive spectacle that is our weather and plunge to the depths of the ocean with all its hidden treasures.

Sujets

• Univers
• Terre
• Astronomie

Informations

• Publié par: Québec Amérique
• Date de parution: 09 août 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9782764408964
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 56 Mo

Extrait

OUR WORLD

OUR WORLD

QA INTERNATIONAL

The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World

The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World created and produced by QA Kids, an imprint of

QA International 329, rue de la Commune Ouest, 3e étage Montréal (Québec) H2Y 2E1 Canada T: 514.499.3000 F: 514.499.3010 www.qa-international.com

© QA International, 2007. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval sytem, without permission in writing by QA International.

ISBN 978-2-7644-0896-4

Editorial Director Caroline Fortin Editor in Chief Martine Podesto Editors Johanne Champagne Marie-Anne Legault Translator Donna Vekteris Writers Anne Dupuis Marie-Claude Ouellet Editorial Assistants Stéphanie Lanctôt Cécile Poulou-Gallet Graphic Designers Josée Noiseux Éric Millette Layout Karine Lévesque Jean-François Nault Jérôme Lavoie Art Directors Anouk Noël Marc Lalumière Illustrators Jocelyn Gardner Carl Pelletier Rielle Lévesque Alain Lemire Mamadou Togola Michel Rouleau Ara Yazedjian Jean-Yves Ahern Mélanie Boivin Danielle Lemay Raymond Martin Claude Thivierge François Escalmel Marie-Andrée Lemieux Research and Photo Acquisition Gilles Vézina Nathalie Gignac Fernand Chevalot Kathleen Wynd Proofreading Veronica Schami Editorial Services Consultants Robert Lamontagne (Astronomer) Christian Levesque (Geology Consultant) Ève Christian (Meteorologist) Serge Lepage (Oceanographer) Préimpression Hélène Coulombe Sophie Pellerin Kien Tang Tony O'Riley Acknowledgments Benoît Allaire City of Montreal Gilles Brien (Environnement Canada)

The Visual Encyclopedia of Our World

The Universe • Earth • Weather • The Oceans

QA INTERNATIONAL

Contents

The universe and its galaxies

Celestial objects of light

Our little corner of the universe

Space exploration

History of Earth

10 14 16

20 24

30 32 34 36 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 56 58 60

64 66 70

74 76 78

The universe Galaxies The Milky Way

Sun Stars

The solar system Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Dwarf planets The Moon Asteroids Comets Meteors and meteorites

Observing the universe Exploring the universe Extraterrestrial life

How Earth was formed History of life Fossils

Inside Earth

Breathtaking landscapes

Earth’s fits of anger

The environment

The ABCs of weather

82 84 86 88 90

94 96 100 104 106 108

112 114 116 118 120 122 124

128 130 132 134

138 140 142 144 146 148

Earth’s structure The soil Rocks Minerals and precious stones Metals and fossil fuels

Climatic zones Erosion Water Mountains Caves Glaciers

Tectonic plates Volcanic eruptions Volcanism Volcanic landscapes Earthquakes Landslides Drought and flooding

Biosphere and ecosystems Climate change and global warming Deforestation and desertification Sources of pollution

Earth and climate: A story from space Atmosphere Wind Water, clouds, and precipitation Types of clouds Temperature

When weather runs wild

A planet under many influences

Predictions . . . For better or worse

Portrait of the oceans

At the bottom of the ocean

152 156 158 160 162 164 166 168 170 172 174

180 182 184

188 192

198 200 202 204 206 208 210

214 218 220

Tornadoes Dew, mist, and fog Rainstorms and flooding Thunder and lightning Snowstorms Ice storms Hail Heat and cold Sand and dust storms Forest fires Hurricanes

Volcanoes and comets Ocean currents and landforms Pollution

Meteorologists and their observations Meteorological instruments

Atlas of oceans Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Arctic and Southern Oceans Seas Coastline

Ocean floor Islands Fossils

The ocean’s changing features

An ocean of life

The conquest of the oceans

Maps 280 Facts 294 Activities 310 Glossary 324 Index 328

224 226 228 230 232 234

238 240 242 244 246 248 250 252 254 256 258

262 264 266 268 270 276 278

Origin of water Properties of water Waves Ocean currents Tides Erosion

Marine variety Food chain Tricks and tactics Sunlit zone Twilight zone Midnight zone Hydrothermal vents Polar life Coral reefs Life on the coast Marine plants

Great navigators Underwater discoveries Technology Underwater remains Ocean resources Pollution Endangered species

The Universe

From the beginning of time, the universe has been the scene of extraordinary transformations. While the first particles of matter formed and organized themselves into atoms, clouds of gases and dust particles multiplied. Billions of stars were created in the heart of these clouds and assembled into many different galaxies. Today, billions of galaxies surrounded by vast empty spaces form the backdrop of the universe. Among them is a spiral galaxy called the Milky Way, which travels through the cosmos like a wheel of light, carrying the solar system along with it.