Earth Portrait of a Planet

ISBN-10: 0393974235

ISBN-13: 9780393974232

Edition: 2001

Authors: Stephen Marshak

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Description:

Since 1960, there have been two major theoretical advances in the Earth sciences: the theory of plate tectonics and the advent of Earth systems science. Stephen Marshak\'s beautifully written and illustrated new text is the first to incorporate both of these discoveries from its inception. Earth: Portrait of a Planet covers all the topics of a traditional physical geology course, but also includes such topics as historical geology, environmental geology, the Earth?s resources, the oceans and atmosphere, cosmology, and global change. What results is a fascinating, comprehensive ?portrait? of planet Earth.

Book details

Copyright year: 2001
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 840
Size: 9.25" wide x 11.00" long x 1.25" tall
Weight: 4.048
Language: English



Preface


Prelude: And Just What Is Geology?


In Search of Ideas


The Nature of Geology


Themes of This Book


Our Island in Space


Cosmology and the Birth of Earth


Journey to the Center of the Earth


Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas


The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics


Earth Materials


Patterns in Nature: Minerals


Rock Groups


Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks


A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks


Change in the Solid State: Metamorphic Rocks


The Rock Cycle


Tectonic Activity of a Dynamic Planet


The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions


A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes


Seeing Inside the Earth


Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building


History Before History


Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution


Deep Time: How Old Is Old?


A Biography of Earth


Earth Resources


Squeezing Power from a Stone: Energy Resources


Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources


Processes and Problems at the Earth's Surface


Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle


Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements


Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water


Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts


A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater


An Envelope of Gas: Earth's Atmosphere and Climate


Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts


Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages


Global Change in the Earth System


Metric Conversion Chart


Scientific Background: Matter and Energy


Flow Charts for Identifying Minerals


Glossary


Credits


Index