ABSTRACT
The most fundamental concept of Earth science is the realisation that Earth history is recorded by rocks, which are composed either of cemented and compacted sediment which in some cases has been chemically changed by heat and pressure during deep burial, or the crystallised products of previously very hot, liquid mixtures from the Earth’s interior. The sediments record details of the conditions at their site of deposition, providing glimpses of an ancient world which can be as strange and exciting as any alien planet. More to the point, they record past changes in the environment which are the key to predicting our future.
