Earth : Portrait of a Planet

by Marshak, Stephen; Prothero, Donald R.

• ISBN13: 9780393974232
• ISBN10: 0393974235
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Prelude And Just What Is Geology?	3	(12)
PART I OUR ISLAND IN SPACE
Cosmology and the Birth of Earth	15	(20)
Journey to the Center of the Earth	35	(16)
Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas	51	(26)
The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics	77	(32)
PART II EARTH MATERIALS
Patterns in Nature: Minerals	109	(28)
Interlude A Rock Groups	129	(8)
Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks	137	(26)
A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks	163	(40)
Change in the Solid State: Metamorphic Rocks	203	(34)
Interlude B The Rock Cycle	227	(10)
PART III TECTONIC ACTIVITY OF A DYNAMIC PLANET
The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions	237	(32)
A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes	269	(50)
Interlude C Seeing Inside the Earth	308	(11)
Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustals Deformation and Mountain Building	319	(46)
PART IV HISTORY BEFORE HISTORY
Interlude D Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution	352	(13)
Deep Time: How Old Is Old?	365	(30)
A Biography of Earth	395	(32)
PART V EARTH RESOURCES
Squeezing Power from a Stone: Energy Resources	427	(26)
Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources	453	(28)
PART VI PROCESSES AND PROBLEMS AT THE EARTH'S SURFACE
Interlude E Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle	472	(9)
Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements	481	(26)
Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water	507	(38)
Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts	545	(36)
A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater	581	(30)
An Envelope of Gas: Earth's Atmosphere and Climate	611	(34)
Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts	645	(22)
Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages	667	(40)
Global Change in the Earth System	707	(29)
Metric Conversion Chart	736
Appendix A Scientific Background: Matter and Energy	A-1
Appendix B Flow Charts for Identifying Minerals	B-1
Glossary	G-1
Index	I-1