The Face of the Earth: The Legacy of Eduard Suess

"It is amazing how far-sighted, visionary and broad Suess was, and how a single person could be of such a central relevance to many concepts used in geoscience today." Bruno Merz, GFZ Potsdam

"This book allows the reader to become aware of the tremendous influence that Suess had on our modern knowledge about stratigraphy and tectonics." Fabrizio Storti, University of Parma

"I found the chapters an enjoyable read. I certainly gained an impression of the importance of the work and the character of Suess and felt this came across very well. I learnt some really fascinating things." Jonathan Bamber, University of Bristol

The Face of the Earth is a book 'posthumously' written by the father of modern geology, Eduard Suess, who died on 26 April 1914. He was not only influential in geosciences but also in society. As a politician he initiated the construction of a new water supply system for Vienna (and many other major projects). He was a genuine European, born in England, growing up in Prague, living and working in Vienna. Many of his most important theses are still valid today. He created concepts like the Thetis ocean, Gondwana-Land, biosphere, the Continental Breakup or the so-called Long Distance Correlation. The Face of the Earth provides a snapshot of his legacy and highlights what remains today of his vision that is relevant to the theme of the face of the earth in the 21st century; it cuts across all disciplines, presents quotes of the excellent writer Suess, commented on by some of today's most important geologists, mirrored and anchored in fantastic photographs.

Contents: Preface; Eduard Suess and the origin of modern geology; From palaeontology and stratigraphy to Earth System Science; Suess and the dynamics of the planet earth; Two water problems of a big city; Milestones of a life beyond the geosciences; Quotes from the writings of Eduard Suess.