Approximately 300 questionnaires and 100 interviews were conducted with introductory and non-science major college students from four institutions: a small elite private school, two large state schools, and one small public liberal arts college. Students were probed on a variety of topics about the Earth system, including the Earth's interior, features at the Earth's surface, and geologic time. Content analysis along topical and thematic boundaries indicates that students hold a number of misconceptions about the earth. Additionally, a wide range of mental perspectives related to viewing the Earth from a material, transformative, or process state exist, with significant implications for teaching the earth from a system perspective.