The Earth After Us

If aliens came to Earth 100 millions years in the future, what traces would they find of long-extinct humanity, and our brief, dramatic reign on the planet? From this imagined vantage-point, geologist Jan Zalasiewicz looks at the future of the earth in a completely unexpected light. What kind of fossils will humanity leave behind, impressed in the rocks? What will happen to cities, cars, and plastic cups? How thick a layer will the 'human stratum' be? And will it even be obvious which species dominated the planet? Zalasiewicz imagines how geological techniques would be able to piece together evidence of a global environmental catastrophe, and even unearth human remains - the bones of the inhabitants of petrified cities which had lain deep underground for many millions of years. As thought-provoking as it is engaging, The Earth After Us explains the geological mechanisms that shape our planet, and also offers a sobering verdict on our species and its relationship to its home.