Geology

by Chernicoff, Stanley

• ISBN13: 9780395923511
• ISBN10: 0395923514
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-10-01
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

To effectively introduce core concepts, this first-year survey text shifts the focus from learning terminology to understanding--and observing--the range of earth's geologic processes. The Third Edition retains all the features which have made the text popular among students, while integrating new or enhanced elements and material including a significantly revised art program and a suite of technology supplements. The pedagogical aids which appear throughout help students to assimilate the material and continually reassess their progress. At the end of every chapter, new On-the-Web activities encourage the use of web resources, Learning Actively exercises challenge students to apply their knowledge to their surroundings, and Chapter Summaries are now shorter to allow for faster review. New! The revised art program presents a level of detail appropriate for introductory students, and demonstrates naturalism as well as technical accuracy--ensuring that the basics are skillfully communicated. New! Geology at a Glance sections act as quick, visual reference tools summarizing difficult ideas using figures, photos, and flow charts. New! Highlight boxes are now divided into three categories to actively illustrate the relevance of abstract geologic principles to students' daily lives: Environmental, Earth System Science, and Application/Everyday Interest boxes. New! A strong technology package facilitates learning through interactive tutorials and a web site with ACE self-tests, lab simulations, and a link to www.geologylink.com, Houghton Mifflin's award-winning site for the geology community. Instructors may access PowerPoint slides on the web site, as well as additional classroom resources.

Table of Contents

Preface	xxi
To the Student	xxv
Part 1 Forming the Earth	1	(238)
A First Look at Planet Earth	2	(32)
Geology and the Methods of Science	4	(4)
The Development of Geological Concepts	5	(1)
What Caused the Extinction of the Dinosaurs?	6	(2)
The Earth in Space	8	(9)
The Probable Origin of the Sun and Its Planets	8	(2)
The Earth's Earliest History	10	(3)
Thermal Energy in the Earth	13	(1)
Rock Types and the Rock Cycle	14	(1)
Time and Geology	14	(3)
Plate Tectonics	17	(7)
Basic Plate Tectonic Concepts	18	(1)
Plate Movements and Boundaries	19	(5)
In Support of Plate Tectonics: A Theory Develops	24	(6)
Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift	24	(5)
The Driving Force Behind Plate Motion	29	(1)
The Earth's Plate Tectonic Future	30	(1)
A Preview of Things to Come	30	(2)
Chapter Summary	32	(2)
Key Terms	33	(1)
Questions for Review	33	(1)
For Further Thought	33	(1)
Minerals	34	(30)
What Is a Mineral?	36	(5)
The Structure of Atoms	37	(1)
How Atoms Bond	38	(3)
Mineral Structure	41	(2)
Determinants of Mineral Formation	42	(1)
How Minerals Are Identified	43	(7)
In the Field	43	(5)
Cutting Diamonds	48	(1)
In the Laboratory	49	(1)
Some Common Rock-Forming Minerals	50	(8)
The Silicates and Their Structures	51	(5)
Nonsilicates	56	(1)
Finding and Naming Minerals	57	(1)
Gemstones	58	(2)
How Gemstones Form	58	(1)
The Curse of the Hope Diamond	59	(1)
Synthetic Gems: Can We Imitate Nature?	59	(1)
Minerals as Clues to the Past	60	(1)
Chapter Summary	60	(4)
Key Terms	62	(1)
Questions for Review	63	(1)
For Further Thought	63	(1)
Igneous Processes and Igneous Rocks	64	(28)
Melting Rocks and Crystallizing Magma	66	(11)
Igneous Textures	66	(3)
Igneous Compositions	69	(3)
The Creation of Magma	72	(2)
The Fluidity and Viscosity of Magma	74	(1)
The Crystallization of Magma	74	(3)
Intrusive Rock Formations	77	(7)
Tabular Plutons	78	(2)
Tabular Plutons Save the Union	80	(1)
Batholiths and Other Large Plutons	81	(3)
Plate Tectonics and Igneous Rock	84	(3)
The Origin of Basalts and Gabbros	84	(1)
The Origin of Andesites and Diorites	85	(1)
The Origin of Rhyolites and Granites	86	(1)
Igneous Rocks of the Moon	87	(1)
The Economic Value of Igneous Rocks	88	(1)
There's Gold in Them Thar Hills	90
Chapter Summary	89	(3)
Key Terms	91	(1)
Questions for Review	91	(1)
For Further Thought	91	(1)
Volcanoes and Volcanism	92	(36)
The Nature and Origin of Volcanoes	95	(1)
The Causes of Volcanism	96	(1)
The Products of Volcanism	96	(10)
Types of Lava	97	(3)
Pyroclastic Materials	100	(4)
Hawai`i's Dreaded VOG	104	(1)
Secondary Volcanic Effects	104	(2)
Loihi: Growing Pains of the Next Hawai'ian Island	106	(1)
Eruptive Styles and Associated Landforms	106	(10)
Effusive Eruptions	107	(3)
Fire and Ice: Iceland's Subglacial Eruption of 1996	110	(1)
Pyroclastic Eruptions	111	(5)
Plate Tectonics and Volcanism	116	(1)
Coping with Volcanic Hazards	116	(8)
Regions at Risk	117	(2)
Defense Plans	119	(1)
Mount St. Helen Clears Her Throat	120	(4)
Extraterrestrial Volcanism	124	(1)
Chapter Summary	125	(3)
Key Terms	126	(1)
Questions for Review	127	(1)
For Further Thought	127	(1)
Weathering: The Breakdown of Rocks	128	(24)
Weathering Processes	130	(10)
Mechanical Weathering	131	(3)
Chemical Weathering	134	(1)
Factors That Influence Chemical Weathering	135	(3)
Some Products of Chemical Weathering	138	(2)
Lake Powell's Puzzling Pits	140	(1)
Soils and Soil Formation	140	(8)
Influences on Soil Formation	140	(3)
Conserving Our Fragile Soils	143	(1)
Typical Soil Structure	144	(2)
Classifying Soils	146	(2)
Weathering in Extraterrestrial Environments	148	(1)
Chapter Summary	149	(3)
Key Terms	150	(1)
Questions for Review	150	(1)
For Further Thought	151	(1)
Sedimentation and Sedimentary Rocks	152	(30)
The Origins of Sedimentary Rocks	154	(7)
Sediment Transport and Texture	155	(2)
Sedimentary Structures	157	(2)
Lithification: Turning Sediment into Sedimentary Rock	159	(2)
Classifying Sedimentary Rocks	161	(12)
Detrital Sedimentary Rocks	161	(3)
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks	164	(4)
When the Mediterranean Sea Was a Desert	168	(2)
The Dolostone Mystery	170	(3)
``Reading'' Sedimentary Rocks	173	(6)
Depositional Environments	173	(2)
Sedimentary Facies	175	(1)
Sedimentary Rocks and Plate Tectonics	176	(1)
Sedimentary Rocks from a Distance	177	(2)
Chapter Summary	179	(3)
Key Terms	180	(1)
Questions for Review	180	(1)
For Further Thought	180	(2)
Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks	182	(24)
Conditions Promoting Metamorphism	184	(4)
Heat	185	(1)
Pressure	186	(1)
Circulating Fluids	187	(1)
Parent Rock	188	(1)
Types of Metamorphism	188	(7)
Contact Metamorphism	189	(1)
Regional Metamorphism	189	(1)
Other Types of Metamorphism	190	(1)
Common Metamorphic Rocks	191	(1)
Shock Metamorphism, Buckyballs,...and the Origin of Life on Earth?	191	(1)
Foliated Rocks Derived from Shale or Mudstone	192	(2)
Foliated Rocks Derived from Igneous Rocks	194	(1)
Nonfoliated Rocks	194	(1)
Metamorphic Grade and Index Materials	195	(4)
Index Minerals and Mineral Zones	195	(1)
Metamorphic Facies	196	(3)
Plate Tectonics and Metamorphic Rocks	199	(1)
Metamorphic Rocks in Daily Life	200	(3)
Potential Hazards from Metamorphic Rocks	202	(1)
The Rock Cycle Revisited	203	(1)
Chapter Summary	204	(2)
Key Terms	205	(1)
Questions for Review	205	(1)
For Further Thought	205	(1)
Telling Time Geologically	206	(33)
Geologic Time in Perspective	208	(1)
Determining Relative Age	209	(11)
Principles of Relative Dating	209	(4)
Unconformities	213	(1)
How Fossils Form	214	(3)
Correlation	217	(1)
The World's Oldest Landscape	218	(1)
Relative Dating by Weathering Features	219	(1)
Determining Absolute Age	220	(12)
Radiometric Dating	220	(6)
Other Absolute-Dating Techniques	226	(5)
Combining Relative and Absolute Dating	231	(1)
The Geologic Time Scale	232	(3)
Life on Earth	233	(1)
The Age of the Earth	234	(2)
Life on Earth---A Foreign Import?	236
Chapter Summary	235	(4)
Key Terms	238	(1)
Questions for Review	238	(1)
For Further Thought	238	(1)
Part 2 Shaping the Earth's Crust	239	(122)
Folds, Faults, and Mountains	240	(26)
Stressing and Straining Rocks	242	(3)
Types of Deformation	242	(2)
Factors Affecting Rock Deformation	244	(1)
Deformed Rocks in the Field	244	(1)
Folds	245	(4)
Synclines and Anticlines	246	(3)
Domes and Basins	249	(1)
Faults	249	(8)
Types of Faults	252	(3)
Plate Tectonics and Faulting	255	(1)
Folds, Faults, and the Search for Fossil Fuels	256	(1)
Building Mountains	257	(7)
Types and Processes of Mountain Building	258	(2)
The Appalachians: North America's Geologic Jigsaw Puzzle	260	(2)
Mountain Building on Our Planetary Neighbors	262	(2)
Chapter Summary	264	(2)
Key Terms	264	(1)
Questions for Review	265	(1)
For Further Thought	265	(1)
Earthquakes	266	(36)
The Causes of Earthquakes	268	(8)
Seismic Waves	269	(2)
Measuring Earthquakes---Which Scale to Use?	271	(3)
Locating an Earthquake's Epicenter	274	(2)
Earthquake Depth and Magnitude	276	(1)
The Effects of Earthquakes	276	(6)
Ground Displacements	276	(1)
Seismic Eavesdropping---Monitoring the Peace	277	(1)
Landslides and Liquefaction	277	(2)
Seiches	279	(1)
Tsunami	279	(2)
A Mysterious Tsunami Strikes Japan	281	(1)
Fires	282	(1)
The World's Principal Earthquake Zones	282	(4)
Earthquake Zones at Plate Boundaries	282	(2)
Intraplate Earthquakes	284	(2)
Coping with the Threat of Earthquakes	286	(13)
Limiting Earthquakes Caused by Humans	288	(1)
Determining Seismic Frequency	288	(3)
Building in an Earthquake Zone	291	(2)
Earthquake Prediction: The Best Defense	293	(5)
Can Earthquakes Be Controlled?	298	(1)
The Moon: A Distant Seismic Outpost	299	(1)
Chapter Summary
Key Terms	300	(1)
Questions for Review	300	(1)
For Further Thought	301	(1)
Geophysical Properties of Planet Earth	302	(28)
Investigating the Earth's Interior	304	(11)
The Behavior of Seismic Waves	304	(1)
The Crust	305	(1)
Seismic Tomography: A Planetary CAT Scan	306	(2)
The Mantle	308	(3)
The Mantle Flush: Breaching the Barrier Between the Upper and Lower Mantle	311	(1)
The Core	312	(3)
Taking the Earth's Temperature	315	(2)
Determining Interior Temperatures	315	(1)
Simulating the Earth's Core in the Laboratory	316	(1)
Heat at the Earth's Surface	316	(1)
Is the Earth Still Cooling?	317	(1)
The Earth's Gravity	317	(4)
Measuring Gravity	318	(1)
Gravity Anomalies	318	(2)
Isostasy	320	(1)
Magnetism	321	(6)
The Earth's Magnetic Field	322	(4)
Other Magnetic Fields in Our Solar System	326	(1)
Chapter Summary	327	(3)
Key Terms	328	(1)
Questions for Review	328	(1)
For Further Thought	328	(2)
Plate Tectonics: Creating Oceans and Continents	330	(31)
Determining Plate Velocity	332	(4)
Plate Movement over Hot Spots	333	(2)
Tracking Magnetic Field Reversals	335	(1)
The Nature and Origin of the Ocean Floor	336	(14)
Rifting and the Origin of Ocean Basins	337	(3)
Divergent Plate Boundaries and the Development of the Ocean Floor	340	(1)
Transform Boundaries and Offset Mid-ocean Ridges	341	(1)
The Unseen World of Divergent Zones	342	(1)
Convergence and Subducting Plate Margins	343	(3)
Convergence and Continental Collisions	346	(1)
Do Continents Subduct?	347	(2)
Convergence and the Birth of the Himalayas	349	(1)
The Origin and Shaping of Continents	350	(5)
The Origin of Continental Lithosphere	350	(3)
The Changing Shape of the Earth's Continents	353	(1)
The Earth's Plates Before Pangaea	354	(1)
Looking into the Plate-Tectonic Future	355	(1)
The Driving Forces of Plate Motion	355	(4)
Ridge Push, Slab Pull, or Plate Sliding?	355	(1)
Convection Cells, Revised	356	(2)
Thermal Plumes---A Possible Alternative to Convection Cells	358	(1)
Plate-Driving Mechanisms: A Combined Model	358	(1)
Chapter Summary	359	(2)
Key Terms	360	(1)
Questions for Review	360	(1)
For Further Thought	360	(1)
Part 3 Sculpting the Earth's Surface	361
Mass Movement	362
What Causes Mass Movement?	364
Gravity, Friction, and Slope Angle	364
Slope Composition	365
Setting Off a Mass-Movement Event	368
Types of Mass Movement	370
Slow Mass Movement	370
Rapid Mass Movement	371
The La Conchita Mudslide	374
Avoiding and Predicting Mass-Movement Disasters	377
Predicting Mass Movements	377
Crumbling K'ilauea	379
Avoiding Mass Movements	380
How to Choose a Stable Home Site	381
Preventing Mass Movements	382
Extraterrestrial Mass Movement	384
Chapter Summary	385
Key Terms	386
Questions for Review	386
For Further Thought	387
Streams and Floods	388
The Earth's Water	390
Streams	391
Stream Flow and Discharge	392
The Geological Work of Streams	393
Graded Streams	393
Stream Erosion	394
Stream Transport	402
Stream Deposition	404
Controlling Floods	407
The Mississippi River and Its Delta	408
Flood Prediction	410
Flood Prevention	411
The Great Midwestern Floods of 1993	412
Artificial Floods	415
Stream Evolution and Plate Tectonics	416
Extraterrestrial Stream Activity: Evidence from Mars	417
Chapter Summary	418
Key Terms	419
Questions for Review	419
For Further Thought	419
Groundwater	420
Groundwater Recharge and Flow	422
Movement and Distribution of Groundwater	423
Tapping the Groundwater Reservoir	426
Aquifers: Water-bearing Rock Units	427
Natural Springs and Geysers	430
Finding and Managing Groundwater	432
Locating Groundwater	432
Should You Hire a Water Witch?	434
Threats to the Groundwater Supply	434
Who Owns Groundwater?	438
Dealing with Groundwater Problems	438
Maintaining Groundwater Quality	440
Natural Groundwater Purification	440
Cleansing Contaminated Aquifers	442
Yucca Mountain---A Safe Place for N-Wastes?	444
Chapter Summary
Key Terms	443
Questions for Review	443
For Further Thought	443
Caves and Karst	446
How Limestone Dissolves	448
Factors Determining Dissolution Rates	449
Estimating Dissolution Rates	449
Caves	450
Cave Formation	451
Cave Deposits	452
Two Famous Caves	455
Non-limestone Caves	456
Karst Topography	458
Karst Landforms	458
Protecting Karst Environments	464
Karst Landscapes in History	465
Chapter Summary	466
Key Terms	466
Questions for Review	467
For Further Thought	467
Glaciers and Ice Ages	468
Glacier Formation and Growth	471
Classifying Glaciers	472
The Budget of a Glacier	472
Glacial Flow	474
The Work of Glaciers	476
Glacial Erosion	476
Glacial Transport and Deposition	479
Other Effects of Glaciation	484
The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington	486
Reconstructing Ice-Age Climates	491
Deep-Sea Studies	492
Ice-Core Studies	494
The Causes of Glaciation	494
Variation in the Earth's Orbital Mechanics	495
Terrestrial Factors That Amplify Ice-Age Climate Changes	496
The Earth's Glacial Past	497
Glaciation on Other Planets and Moons	502
Chapter Summary	503
Key Terms	505
Questions for Review	505
For Further Thought	505
Deserts and Wind Action	506
Identifying Deserts	508
Types of Deserts	508
How Hot Is Hot?	509
Weathering in Deserts	511
The Work of Water in Deserts	512
Stream Erosion in Deserts	513
Stream Deposition in Deserts	514
The Work of Wind in Deserts	516
Erosion by Wind	517
Transportation by Wind	520
Deposition by Wind	521
America's Dust Bowl	522
Reconstructing Paleowind Directions	528
Desertification	529
The Great Plains---North America's Once and Future Sahara?	531
Reversing Desertification	532
Wind Action on Mars	533
Chapter Summary	534
Key Terms	535
Questions for Review	535
For Further Thought	535
Shores and Coastal Processes	536
Waves, Currents, and Tides	538
Waves and Currents	538
Tides	542
Processes That Shape Coasts	544
Coastal Erosion	545
Lake Michigan's Vanishing Shoreline	548
Coastal Transport and Deposition	549
Can (and Should) We Control Nature's Coasts?	554
Types of Coasts	554
Barrier Islands	557
Organic Coasts	558
North Carolina's Outer Banks	559
Plate Tectonic Settings of Coasts	561
Sea-Level Fluctuations and Coastal Evolution	563
Protecting Coasts and Coastal Environments	565
Chapter Summary	565
Key Terms	566
Questions for Review	567
For Further Thought	567
Human Use of the Earth's Resources	568
Reserves and Resources	570
Fossil Fuels	571
Petroleum	571
Coal and Peat	574
Fossil Fuels and the Environment	576
Alternative Energy Resources	578
Renewable Alternative Energy Sources	578
Nuclear Energy---A Nonrenewable Alternative	582
Mineral Resources	584
Metals	585
Nonmetals	591
Future Use of Natural Resources	592
Meeting Future Energy Needs	592
Meeting Future Mineral Needs	593
Chapter Summary	595
Key Terms	596
Questions for Review	596
For Further Thought	596
Appendix A Conversion Factors for English and Metric Units	A-1
Appendix B A Statistical Portrait of Planet Earth	A-2
Appendix C Reading Topographic and Geologic Maps	A-4
Appendix D Mineral Identification Charts	A-6
Appendix E How to Identify Some Common Rocks	A-10
Appendix F Sources of Geologic Literature, Photographs, and Maps	A-12
Appendix G Careers in the Geosciences	A-13
Glossary	A-14
Credits	A-31
Index	A-34