Earth: Portrait of a Planet

by Stephen Marshak

Overview

Marshak (U. of Illinois) adds information about recent discoveries and events to his revised introductory geoscience textbook while continuing to emphasize the interconnectivity of the Earth's landmasses, bodies of water, and atmosphere, and the cycles that are at play in nearly every process. Numerous photographs, diagrams, and illustrations complement the text. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393882742
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2022
Edition description:	Seventh Edition
Pages:	1040
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Stephen Marshak is a Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he taught for 35 years. During this time, he also served as Head of the Department of Geology and as Director of the School of Earth, Society, & Environment. Steve holds an A.B. from Cornell University, an M.S. from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, all in geology. His research interests in structural geology and tectonics have taken him in the field on several continents. Steve, a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, has won the highest teaching awards at both the college and campus levels at the University of Illinois, and has also received a Neil Miner Award from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers for “exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences.” His other books include Essentials of Geology, Earth Science, Natural Disasters, Laboratory Manual for Introductory Geology, Laboratory Manual for Earth Science, Earth Structure: An Introduction to Structural Geology and Tectonics, and Basic Methods of Structural Geology.

Table of Contents

	Preface
	Prelude: And Just What Is Geology?	3
	In Search of Ideas	3
	The Nature of Geology	5
	Themes of This Book	6
Part I	Our Island in Space
Chapter 1	Cosmology and the Birth of Earth	15
Chapter 2	Journey to the Center of the Earth	35
Chapter 3	Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas	51
Chapter 4	The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics	77
Part II	Earth Materials
Chapter 5	Patterns in Nature: Minerals	109
Interlude A	Rock Groups	129
Chapter 6	Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks	137
Chapter 7	A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks	163
Chapter 8	Change in the Solid State: Metamorphic Rocks	203
Interlude B	The Rock Cycle	227
Part III	Tectonic Activity of a Dynamic Planet
Chapter 9	The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions	237
Chapter 10	A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes	269
Interlude C	Seeing Inside the Earth	308
Chapter 11	Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building	319
Part IV	History Before History
Interlude D	Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution	352
Chapter 12	Deep Time: How Old Is Old?	365
Chapter 13	A Biography of Earth	395
Part V	Earth Resources
Chapter 14	Squeezing Power from a Stone: Energy Resources	427
Chapter 15	Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources	453
Part VI	Processes and Problems at the Earth's Surface
Interlude E	Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle	472
Chapter 16	Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements	481
Chapter 17	Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water	507
Chapter 18	Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts	545
Chapter 19	A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater	581
Chapter 20	An Envelope of Gas: Earth's Atmosphere and Climate	611
Chapter 21	Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts	645
Chapter 22	Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages	667
Chapter 23	Global Change in the Earth System	707
	Metric Conversion Chart	736
Appendix A	Scientific Background: Matter and Energy	1
Appendix B	Flow Charts for Identifying Minerals	1
	Glossary	1
	Credits	1
	Index	1