Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology (2nd Edition)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Preface With this book, we hope to introduce readers to the world of physical geology and to share with them the excitement of exploring Earth and the processes that formed it. We hope that readers of this book will gain a better understanding of Earth and an increased awareness of our planet. Whey traveling by airplane, a reader will appreciate how mountains, rivers, and deserts were formed, and what governs their locations, shapes, and textures. A hiker will understand how multicolored pebbles in a stream formed and where they came from. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, and other geologic hazards will be viewed with a greater understanding of the processes that give rise to such events. We have taught the introductory geology and geophysics courses at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Durham for a cumulative total of forty years. Students have traveled with us on field trips to every continent. Because our special areas of study include not only geology, but also geophysics and geochemistry, we seized the opportunity to present an interdisciplinary approach to physical geology. We felt the need for a book that presents geology in the framework of plate tectonics with a strong emphasis on geologic processes. We feel strongly that this approach presents the field of geology in its full richness while making the subject both more interesting and easier to learn. We wrote this book for students with little or no scientific background. Toward this end, we have avoided unnecessary use of jargon, introducing geologic terms in context and only as needed. We describe geologic time using millions wand billions of years rather than using the traditional geological time scale, which we have found can cause unnecessary difficulty for students taking their first geology course. We have limited the use of mathematical expressions, but those that we have included serve to introduce students to a few of the powerful and concise tools geologists use to quantify the processes and characteristics of Earth. We think this book will give pleasure to students by increasing their awareness and understanding of their surroundings. Indeed, we hope that some will continue on to become geologists and share in the excitement that we have experienced working in this field. In any case, it has been our intention here to make the subject easy to learn and one of never-ending fascination. Organization of the Book After a brief introduction to the Earth as a system in Chapter 1, in which plate tectonics, climate, and time are all closely linked, the order of material presented in the book follows the evolution of Earth from its formation to the development of plate tectonics and present-day geology. Chapter 2 presents the formation of Earth and the elements and the partition of Earth into crust, mantle, and core. Throughout, we emphasize how scientists arrived at our present understanding of Earth's internal composition and processes. Students can then appreciate the origin of Earth's huge internal energy source and understand how that energy drives plate tectonics. In Chapters 3 and 4, we turn to the material of Earth itself and explore rocks and the minerals from which rocks are formed. Chapter 5 introduces the approaches that gave rise to our present understanding of Earth's interior and internal processes. These include measurements of seismic waves, gravity, and magnetism of Earth. It also provides the background for the development of the plate-tectonic theory. Chapter 6 then takes a closer look at geologic time how it is measured and how we can appreciate the operation of processes at various different rates many imperceptible over human lifetimes. Chapter 7 explores plate tectonics from its early roots in the theory of continental drift to our present-day understanding including some of the outstanding problems which are still being researched. The subsequent chapters concentrate on processes that occur at plate margins, starting with earthquakes and deformation in Chapter 8. Chapters 9 and 10 explore the lithospheric plates, their relative movements, and how interaction of these plates gives rise to earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges. Many of Earth's features are most conveniently and logically discussed in the context of the three types of plate margins divergent margins, convergent margins, and transform margins. We point out the context in which igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks form and how they differ from margin to margin. Chapter 11 examines the role of water in determining many of the properties of our planet including its accommodation of life. Water is a vital component of the hydrosphere and atmosphere, which feature prominently in the later chapters of the book. The following chapters deal with surficial processes, examining the processes of weathering and erosion that occur at Earth's surface and the transport and deposition of the sedimentary material formed in this way (Chapters 12 and 13). A natural consequence of these processes is the modification of landscapes, and we next explore the characteristics of different landforms in the geomorphology chapter (Chapter 14). Students will discover that different combinations of climate, geology, and environment will produce distinct landform characteristics. Finally, we address some of the more practical aspects of the earth sciences. From an understanding of how Earth works, we take a look at the environment from a geologic perspective in Chapter 15 and at how natural resources are formed in Chapter 16. Major Changes to the Second Edition Based on feedback from instructors around the country, as well our own personal experience, we have extensively revised the second edition of Exploring Earth. The major changes include: Specific treatment of Earth as a system (Chapter 1). The connections among different aspects of earth science are pointed out explicitly. This serves as a better basis on which to discuss the influence of, for instance, climate on tectonics (and vice versa) or the way the hydrologic cycle links the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. A new, separate chapter on geologic time (Chapter 6). In the first edition we had resisted an entire chapter on time, feeling that this was more the purview of historical geology. However, careful consideration of the importance of a basic understanding of time and the ways in which geologic histories can be understood is critical to the process theme of this text particularly when it comes to the consideration of process rates. We have tried to give insights into the fundamental principles on which geologic dating is based, and to distinguish between relative and absolute dating. This is also an opportunity to introduce the geologic time scale used widely by geologists although, given that this is a book for the nonspecialist, we have retained simple annotation of ages in millions of years throughout the book rather than using formal eras and epochs. A new, separate chapter on water (Chapter 11) detailing its role in the formation and behavior of the planet, its distribution, and its influence on many Earth processes. We felt that such a chapter serves as a critical link between the second and third parts of the book. The former deals largely with plate tectonic and lithospheric processes, while the latter focuses on surface processes weathering, erosion, deposition, and landscape formation that reflect the interaction of the hydrologic cycle with the lithosphere. This chapter also gives us an opportunity to examine the origin of water in and on Earth and to reemphasize its many important roles. Given that its most important direct relevance to humans is in the basic support of life, we have included a discussion of the distribution and recovery of water in the context of being our most important natural resource. Consolidation of the specific chapters on plate tectonic environments (formerly four) into two Chapters 9 and 10. This change has enabled us to achieve a better balance and remove some of the detail that was included in the first edition principally to ensure broadly comparable chapter lengths. Chapter 9 examines rifting from the initial breakup of continents to "steady state" mid-ocean ridge processes. Transform faults both oceanic and continental are included here by virtue of their close association with spreading centers. Chapter 10 explores the opposite phenomena of ocean basin closure and continental collision. Convergent margin processes, both continental and oceanic, are discussed, as are variations in convergence effects from collage tectonics to the ultimate death of oceans in continental collision. Revised focus boxes. A revised edition gives us an opportunity to remove focus boxes that were regarded as unnecessary and add some exciting new material. For example, we have added a graphical illustration of the effects of magma crystallization in a Hawaiian lava lake in Focus 4.2, added a new focus (11.2) with a simple numerical treatment of water movement at variable permeability, and consolidated several interesting aspects and consequences of continental collision into a case study of the Himalayas (Focus 10.2). Inclusion of one or more numerical questions at the end of each chapter. Reflecting our belief that a simple way to explain and understand many natural processes is through an expression in math, we have designed some simple numerical exercises,. requiring no more than a familiarity with algebra, many of which allow worked examples to be revisited. Appendix of common rock types, cross-referenced to discussion in the main text. This serves as a useful reference analogous to the table of common minerals already included as an appendix. Spectacular new photographs and figures. From the earliest days of the first edition we have been of the strongest opinion that an understanding of geology leans heavily on illustration. We have taken this opportunity to replace less effective photographs and add new ones. We have also designed new illustrati...
The publisher, Prentice-Hall Engineering/Science/Mathematics
Exploring Earth is the first introductory text to take an integrative approach to physical geology within the framework of geologic processes. Students with little or no scientific background will gain more from this approach because it presents the material in a more interesting context. This approach presents the richness of the field of geology in its entirety while making the subject interesting and easier to learn. The text's conventional table of contents is followed by a topical table of contents, to better enable instructors to find all the coverage of a particular topic.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology (2nd Edition)
Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology (2nd Edition),Jon P. Davidson,Walter E. Reed,Paul M. Davis,Prentice Hall,0130183725,Earth Sciences - Geology,Geology (General),Physical Geology,Science,Science/Mathematics,Geology & the lithosphere,Science / Geology
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