(Washington University in St. Louis press release via EurekAlert! 4 June 2009) -- If you're clueless about petrology, paleobiology and plate tectonics, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI) have just released a free pamphlet offering a concise primer on what all Americans should know about the Earth sciences.

Funded by the National Science Foundation and compiled over the last year by ESLI, the booklet represents an attempt to gather and codify the underlying understandings of Earth sciences into a succinct document that will have broad-reaching applications in both public and private arenas.

"The Earth Science Literacy framework document of Big Ideas and supporting concepts was a community effort representing the current state-of-the-art research in Earth sciences," said Michael E. Wysession, Ph.D., chair of ESLI and associate professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

More information on the EARTH SCIENCE LITERACY INITIATIVE and a downloadable version of the free booklet can be found at the web site www.earthscienceliteracy.org.

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