William M. Marsh was a professor at the University of Michigan for 30 years, where he founded the Department of Earth and Resource Science and taught physical geography. He is now with the University of British Columbia where he teaches courses in landscape analysis. He is an experienced textbook author, having written three textbooks in physical geography and two in land use applications, one of which has become a standard in the field of environmental planning.

Part I. Earth's Energy, Climate and Ocean Systems: 1. Mapping our course of study; 2. An overview of planet Earth: some geographic observations about Earth; 3. The Sun-Earth energy system: fuel for a planet; 4. Earth's radiation and heat systems over land and water; 5. The great systems of global air and ocean circulation; 6. Atmospheric moisture, precipitation and weather systems; 7. Modern climate types and patterns; 8. Climate change, past, present, and future; Part II. Earth's Life Support Systems: 9. Earth as an ecosystem: energy, food, and life; 10. Biogeography: geographic distribution of plant and animal types; 11. Human origins, diffusion, and the alteration of natural landscapes; 12. Soil system, processes, and formation; 13. Soil types, distribution, and land use relations; Part III. Earth's Water Systems: 14. The global water system; 15. Runoff, streamflow, and watersheds; 16. Groundwater systems, lakes, and water resources; Part IV. Earth's Rock and Mountain Systems: 17. Earth's internal system: heat, convection, rocks and the planet's skin; 18. The formation and geographic organization of the continents and ocean basins; 19. Mountain systems, earthquakes, and volcanoes; Part V. Earth's Erosional and Landform Systems: 20. Geomorphic systems: rock weathering, hillslope processes, and slope formation; 21. Stream systems, valley formation, and fluvial landscapes; 22. Coastal systems: waves, currents, and landforms; 23. Glacial systems: growth, motion, and work of glacial ice; 24. Wind systems: sand dunes, dust, and deserts.