Earth : an introduction to physical geology [11 ed.] 9780321814067, 0321814061

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Brief Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Learning path
Visual program
Table of CONTENTS (with direct page links)
1 An Introduction to Geology
Outline
Focus on Concepts
1.1 Geology: The Science of Earth
Physical and Historical Geology
Geology, People, and the Environment
GEOGRAPHICS: World Population Passes 7 BILLION
1.2 The Development of Geology
Catastrophism
The Birth of Modern Geology
Geology Today
The Magnitude of Geologic Time
1.3 The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
Hypothesis
Theory
Scientific Methods
Plate Tectonics and Scientific Inquiry
1.4 Earth’s Spheres
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
1.5 Earth as a System
Earth System Science
The Earth System
1.6 Early Evolution of Earth
Origin of Planet Earth
Formation of Earth’s Layered Structure
GEOGRAPHICS: Solar System: Size and Scale
1.7 Earth’s Internal Structure
Earth’s Crust
Earth’s Mantle
Earth’s Core
1.8 Rocks and the Rock Cycle
The Basic Cycle
Alternative Paths
1.9 The Face of Earth
Major Features of the Continents
Major Features of the Ocean Floor
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
2 Plate Tectonics: A Scientific Revolution Unfolds
Outline
Focus on Concepts
2.1 From Continental Drift to Plate Tectonics
2.2 Continental Drift: An Idea Before Its Time
Evidence: The Continental Jigsaw Puzzle
Evidence: Fossils Match Across the Seas
Evidence: Rock Types and Geologic Features
Evidence: Ancient Climates
2.3 The Great Debate
Rejection of the Drift Hypothesis
GEOGRAPHICS: The Breakup of Pangaea
2.4 The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Rigid Lithosphere Overlies Weak Asthenosphere
Earth’s Major Plates
Plate Boundaries
2.5 Divergent Plate Boundaries and Seafloor Spreading
Oceanic Ridges and Seafloor Spreading
Continental Rifting
2.6 Convergent Plate Boundaries and Subduction
Oceanic–Continental Convergence
Oceanic–Oceanic Convergence
Continental–Continental Convergence
2.7 Transform Plate Boundaries
2.8 Testing the Plate Tectonics Model
Evidence: Ocean Drilling
Evidence: Mantle Plumes and Hot Spots
Evidence: Paleomagnetism
2.9 How Is Plate Motion Measured?
Geologic Evidence for Plate Motion
Measuring Plate Motion from Space
How Does Plate Motion Affect Plate Boundaries?
2.10 What Drives Plate Motions?
Forces That Drive Plate Motion
Models of Plate–Mantle Convection
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
3 Matter and Minerals
Outline
Focus on Concepts
3.1 Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks
Defining a Mineral
What Is a Rock?
3.2 Atoms: Building Blocks of Minerals
Properties of Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons
Elements: Defined by Their Number of Protons
3.3 Why Atoms Bond
The Octet Rule and Chemical Bonds
Ionic Bonds: Electrons Transferred
Covalent Bonds: Electron Sharing
Metallic Bonds: Electrons Free to Move
Hybrid Bonds
3.4 How Do Minerals Form?
Precipitation of Mineral Matter
Crystallization of Molten Rock
Deposition as a Result of Biological Processes
3.5 Physical Properties of Minerals
Optical Properties
Crystal Shape, or Habit
Mineral Strength
Density and Specific Gravity
Other Properties of Minerals
GEOGRAPHICS: Gold
3.6 Mineral Structures and Compositions
Mineral Structures
Compositional Variations in Minerals
Structural Variations in Minerals
3.7 How Minerals Are Classified
Classifying Minerals
Silicate Versus Nonsilicate Minerals
3.8 The Silicates
Silicate Structures
Joining Silicate Structures
3.9 Common Silicate Minerals
The Light Silicates
The Dark Silicates
3.10 Important nonsilicate Minerals
GEOGRAPHICS: Gemstones
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
4 Magma, Igneous Rocks, and Intrusive Activity
Outline
Focus on Concepts
4.1 Magma: Parent Material of Igneous Rock
The Nature of Magma
From Magma to Crystalline Rock
Igneous Processes
4.2 Igneous Compositions
Granitic (Felsic) versus Basaltic (Mafic) Compositions
Other Compositional Groups
Silica Content as an Indicator of Composition
4.3 Igneous Textures: What Can They Tell Us?
Types of Igneous Textures
GEOGRAPHICS: Granite: An Intrusive Igneous Rock
4.4 Naming Igneous Rocks
Granitic (Felsic) Igneous Rocks
Andesitic (Intermediate) Igneous Rocks
Basaltic (Mafic) Igneous Rocks
Pyroclastic Rocks
4.5 Origin of Magma
Generating Magma from Solid Rock
4.6 How Magmas Evolve
Bowen’s Reaction Series and the Composition of Igneous Rocks
Magmatic Differentiation and Crystal Settling
Assimilation and Magma Mixing
4.7 Partial Melting and Magma Composition
Formation of Basaltic Magma
Formation of Andesitic and Granitic Magmas
4.8 Intrusive Igneous Activity
Nature of Intrusive Bodies
Tabular Intrusive Bodies: Dikes and Sills
Massive Intrusive Bodies: Batholiths, Stocks, and Laccoliths
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
5 Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards
Outline
Focus on Concepts
5.1 The Nature of Volcanic Eruptions
Factors Affecting Viscosity
Quiescent versus Explosive Eruptions
GEOGRAPHICS: Eruption of Mount St. Helens
5.2 Materials Extruded During an Eruption
Lava Flows
Gases
Pyroclastic Materials
5.3 Anatomy of a Volcano
GEOGRAPHICS: Comparison of Three Types of Volcanic Cones
5.4 Shield Volcanoes
Mauna Loa: Earth’s Largest Shield Volcano
Evolution of Volcanic Islands
GEOGRAPHICS: Kilauea’s East Rift Zone Eruption
5.5 Cinder Cones
Parícutin: Life of a Garden-Variety Cinder Cone
5.6 Composite Volcanoes
5.7 Volcanic Hazards
Pyroclastic Flow: A Deadly Force of Nature
Lahars: Mudflows on Active and Inactive Cones
What Are Other Volcanic Hazards?
GEOGRAPHICS: Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, AD 79
5.8 Other Volcanic Landforms
Calderas
Fissure Eruptions and Large Igneous Provinces
Lava Domes
Volcanic Necks and Pipes
5.9 Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity
Volcanism at Convergent Plate Boundaries
Volcanism at Divergent Plate Boundaries
Intraplate Volcanism
5.10 Monitoring Volcanic Activity
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
6 Weathering and Soil
Outline
Focus on Concepts
6.1 Weathering
GEOGRAPHICS: Some Everyday Examples of Weathering
6.2 Mechanical Weathering
Frost Wedging
Salt Crystal Growth
Sheeting
Biological Activity
GEOGRAPHICS: The Old Man of the Mountain
6.3 Chemical Weathering
Dissolution
Oxidation
Hydrolysis
Spheroidal Weathering
6.4 Rates of Weathering
Rock Characteristics
Climate
Differential Weathering
GEOGRAPHICS: Acid Precipitation: A Human Impact on the Earth System
6.5 Soil
An Interface in the Earth System
What Is Soil?
6.6 Controls of Soil Formation
Parent Material
Time
Climate
Plants and Animals
Topography
6.7 The Soil Profile
6.8 Classifying Soils
6.9 The Impact of Human Activities on Soil
Clearing the Tropical Rain Forest—A Case Study of Human Impact on Soil
Soil Erosion: Losing a Vital Resource
GEOGRAPHICS: The 1930s Dust Bowl: An Environmental Disaster
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
7 Sedimentary Rocks
Outline
Focus on Concepts
7.1 The Importance of Sedimentary Rocks
7.2 Origins of Sedimentary Rock
7.3 Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
Shale
Sandstone
Conglomerate and Breccia
7.4 Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Limestone
Dolostone
Chert
Evaporites
GEOGRAPHICS: Limestone: An Important and Versatile Commodity
7.5 Coal: An Organic Sedimentary Rock
GEOGRAPHICS: Coal: A Major Energy Source
7.6 Turning Sediment into Sedimentary Rock: Diagenesis and Lithification
Diagenesis
Lithification
7.7 Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
7.8 Sedimentary Rocks Represent Past Environments
Types of Sedimentary Environments
Sedimentary Facies
7.9 Sedimentary Structures
7.10 The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
8 Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks
Outline
Focus on Concepts
8.1 What Is Metamorphism?
8.2 What Drives Metamorphism?
Heat as a Metamorphic Agent
Confining Pressure
Differential Stress
Chemically Active Fluids
The Importance of Parent Rock
8.3 Metamorphic Textures
Foliation
Foliated Textures
Other Metamorphic Textures
8.4 Common Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated Rocks
Nonfoliated Rocks
GEOGRAPHICS: Marble
8.5 Metamorphic Environments
Contact or Thermal Metamorphism
Hydrothermal Metamorphism
Burial and Subduction Zone Metamorphism
Regional Metamorphism
Other Metamorphic Environments
GEOGRAPHICS: Impact Metamorphism
8.6 Metamorphic Zones
Textural Variations
Index Minerals and Metamorphic Grade
8.7 Interpreting Metamorphic Environments
Common Metamorphic Facies
Metamorphic Facies and Plate Tectonics
Mineral Stability and Metamorphic Environments
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
9 Geologic Time
Outline
Focus on Concepts
9.1 Creating a Time Scale—Relative Dating Principles
The Importance of a Time Scale
Numerical and Relative Dates
Principle of Superposition
Principle of Original Horizontality
Principle of Lateral Continuity
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
Inclusions
Unconformities
Applying Relative Dating Principles
GEOGRAPHICS: Dating the lunar Surface
9.2 Fossils: Evidence of Past life
Types of Fossils
Conditions Favoring Preservation
9.3 Correlation of Rock layers
Correlation Within Limited Areas
Fossils and Correlation
GEOGRAPHICS: How Is Paleontology Different from Archaeology?
9.4 Dating with Radioactivity
Reviewing Basic Atomic Structure
Radioactivity
Half-Life
Using Various Isotopes
Dating with Carbon-14
9.5 The Geologic Time Scale
Structure of the Time Scale
Precambrian Time
Terminology and the Geologic Time Scale
GEOGRAPHICS: Did Humans and Dinosaurs Ever Coexist?
9.6 Determining Numerical Dates for Sedimentary Strata
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
10 Crustal Deformation
Outline
Focus on Concepts
10.1 What Causes Rock to Deform?
Stress: The Force That Deforms Rocks
Strain: A Change in Shape Caused by Stress
10.2 How Do Rocks Deform?
Elastic, Brittle, and Ductile Deformation
Factors That Affect Rock Strength
Ductile Versus Brittle Deformation and the Resulting Rock Structures
10.3 Folds: Rock Structures Formed by Ductile Deformation
Anticlines and Synclines
Domes and Basins
Monoclines
10.4 Faults and Joints: Rock Structures Formed by Brittle Deformation
Dip-Slip Faults
Strike-Slip Faults
Oblique-Slip Faults
Joints
GEOGRAPHICS: The San Andreas Fault System
10.5 Mapping Geologic Structures
Strike and Dip
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
11 Earthquakes and Earthquake Hazards
Outline
Focus on Concepts
11.1 What Is an Earthquake?
Discovering the Causes of Earthquakes
Aftershocks and Foreshocks
11.2 Faults and Earthquakes
Types of Faults
Fault Rupture and Propagation
11.3 Seismology: The Study of Earthquake Waves
Instruments That Record Earthquakes
Seismic Waves
GEOGRAPHICS: Finding the Epicenter of an Earthquake
11.4 Determining the Size of Earthquakes
Intensity Scales
Magnitude Scales
GEOGRAPHICS: Historic Earthquakes East of the Rockies
11.5 Earthquake Destruction
Destruction from Seismic Vibrations
Landslides and Ground Subsidence
Fire
What Is a Tsunami?
11.6 Earthquake Belts and Plate Boundaries
11.7 Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?
Short-Range Predictions
Long-Range Forecasts
GEOGRAPHICS: Seismic Risks on the San Andreas Fault System
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
12 Earth’s Interior
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Earth’s Internal Structure
Gravity and Layered Planets
Mineral Phase Changes
Probing Earth’s Interior
“Seeing” Seismic Waves
GEOGRAPHICS: Recreating the Deep Earth
Earth’s Layers
Earth’s Crust
Earth’s Mantle
Earth’s Core
Earth’s Temperature
How Did Earth Get So Hot?
Heat Flow
Earth’s Temperature Profile
Earth’s Three-Dimensional Structure
Earth’s Gravity
Seismic Tomography
Earth’s Magnetic Field
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
13 Divergent Boundaries: Origin and Evolution of the Ocean Floor
Outline
Focus on Concepts
An Emerging Picture of the Ocean Floor
Mapping the Seafloor
Provinces of the Ocean Floor
Continental Margins
Passive Continental Margins
Active Continental Margins
Features of Deep-Ocean Basins
Deep-Ocean Trenches
Abyssal Plains
Volcanic Structures on the Ocean Floor
Anatomy of the Oceanic Ridge
GEOGRAPHICS: Explaining Coral Atolls: Darwin’s Hypothesis
Oceanic Ridges and Seafloor Spreading
Seafloor Spreading
Why Are Oceanic Ridges Elevated?
Spreading Rates and Ridge Topography
The Nature of Oceanic Crust
How Does Oceanic Crust Form?
Interactions Between Seawater and Oceanic Crust
GEOGRAPHICS: Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents
Continental Rifting: The Birth of a New Ocean Basin
Evolution of an Ocean Basin
Mechanisms for Continental Rifting
Destruction of Oceanic Lithosphere
Why Oceanic Lithosphere Subducts
Subducting Plates: The Demise of Ocean Basins
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
14 Convergent Boundaries: Origin of Mountains
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Mountain Building
Convergence and Subducting Plates
Major Features of Subduction Zones
Extension and Back-Arc Spreading
Subduction and Mountain Building
Island Arc–Type Mountain Building
Andean-Type Mountain Building
Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Great Valley
Collisional Mountain Belts
Cordilleran-Type Mountain Building
Alpine-Type Mountain Building: Continental Collisions
The Himalayas
The Appalachians
Fault-Block Mountains
The Basin and Range Province
What Causes Earth’s Varied Topography?
The Principle of Isostasy
Mantle Convection: A Cause of Vertical Crustal Movement
GEOGRAPHICS: The Laramide Rockies
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
15 Mass Wasting: The Work of Gravity
Outline
Focus on Concepts
The Importance of Mass Wasting
Landslides as Geologic Hazards
The Role of Mass Wasting in Landform Development
Slopes Change Through Time
GEOGRAPHICS: Landslides as Natural Disasters
Controls and Triggers of Mass Wasting
The Role of Water
Oversteepened Slopes
Removal of Vegetation
Earthquakes as Triggers
Landslides Without Triggers?
Classification of Mass-Wasting Processes
Type of Material
Type of Motion
Rate of Movement
Rapid Forms of Mass Wasting
Slump
Rockslide
Debris Flow
Earthflow
Slow Movements
Creep
Solifluction
The Sensitive Permafrost Landscape
GEOGRAPHICS: Landslide Risks: United States and Worldwide
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
16 Running Water
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Earth as a System: The Hydrologic Cycle
Running Water
Drainage Basins
River Systems
Streamflow
Factors Affecting Flow Velocity
Changes Downstream
GEOGRAPHICS: What Are the Largest Rivers?
The Work of Running Water
Stream Erosion
Transport of Sediment by Streams
Deposition of Sediment by Streams
Stream Channels
Bedrock Channels
Alluvial Channels
Shaping Stream Valleys
Base Level and Graded Streams
Valley Deepening
Valley Widening
Incised Meanders and Stream Terraces
Depositional Landforms
Deltas
The Mississippi River Delta
Natural Levees
Alluvial Fans
Drainage Patterns
Formation of a Water Gap
Headward Erosion and Stream Piracy
GEOGRAPHICS: Flash Floods
Floods and Flood Control
Types of Floods
Flood Recurrence Intervals
Flood Control
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
17 Groundwater
Outline
Focus on Concepts
The Importance of Groundwater
Groundwater and the Hydrosphere
Geologic Importance of Groundwater
GEOGRAPHICS: Our Water Supply
The Distribution of Groundwater
The Water Table
Variations in the Water Table
Interaction Between Groundwater and Streams
Factors Influencing the Storage and Movement of Groundwater
Porosity
Permeability, Aquitards, and Aquifers
How Groundwater Moves
A Simple Groundwater Flow System
Measuring Groundwater Movement
Different Scales of Movement
Wells
GEOGRAPHICS: Drought Impacts the Hydrologic System
Artesian Systems
Springs, Hot Springs, and Geysers
Springs
Hot Springs
Geysers
Environmental Problems
Mining Groundwater
Subsidence
Saltwater Contamination
Groundwater Contamination
The Geologic Work of Groundwater
Caverns
Karst Topography
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
18 Glaciers and Glaciation
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Glaciers: A Part of Two Basic Cycles
Valley (Alpine) Glaciers
Ice Sheets
Other Types of Glaciers
Formation and Movement of Glacial Ice
Glacial Ice Formation
Movement of a Glacier
Rates of Glacial Movement
Budget of a Glacier
GEOGRAPHICS: Antarctica Fact File
Glacial Erosion
Landforms Created by Glacial Erosion
Glaciated Valleys
Arêtes and Horns
Roches Moutonnées
Glacial Deposits
Glacial Till
Stratified Drift
Landforms Made of Till
Lateral and Medial Moraines
End and Ground Moraines
Drumlins
Landforms Made of Stratified Drift
Outwash Plains and Valley Trains
Ice-Contact Deposits
Other Effects of Ice Age Glaciers
Crustal Subsidence and Rebound
Sea-Level Changes
Changes to Rivers and Valleys
Ice Dams Create Proglacial Lakes
Pluvial Lakes
GEOGRAPHICS: Earth’s Shrinking Glaciers
The Glacial Theory and the Ice Age
Causes of Ice Ages
Plate Tectonics
Variations in Earth’s Orbit
Other Factors
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
19 Deserts and Winds
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Distribution and Causes of Dry Lands
What Is Meant by Dry?
Subtropical Deserts and Steppes
Middle-Latitude Deserts and Steppes
Geologic Processes in Arid Climates
Weathering
The Role of Water
Basin and Range: The Evolution of a Desert Landscape
GEOGRAPHICS: Common Misconceptions About Deserts
Transportation of Sediment by Wind
Bed Load
Suspended Load
Wind Erosion
Deflation and Blowouts
Desert Pavement
Ventifacts and Yardangs
Wind Deposits
Sand Deposits
Types of Sand Dunes
Loess (Silt) Deposits
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
20 Shorelines
Outline
Focus on Concepts
The Shoreline: A Dynamic Interface
The Coastal Zone
Basic Features
Beaches
GEOGRAPHICS: A Brief Tour of America’s Coasts
Waves
Wave Characteristics
Circular Orbital Motion
Waves in the Surf Zone
The Work of Waves
Wave Erosion
Sand Movement on the Beach
Shoreline Features
Erosional Features
Depositional Features
The Evolving Shore
Stabilizing the Shore
Hard Stabilization
Alternatives to Hard Stabilization
Erosion Problems Along U.S. Coasts
Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
Pacific Coast
Hurricanes: The Ultimate Coastal Hazard
Profile of a Hurricane
Hurricane Destruction
Detecting and Tracking Hurricanes
Coastal Classification
Emergent Coasts
Submergent Coasts
GEOGRAPHICS: Hurricane Katrina from Space
Tides
Causes of Tides
Monthly Tidal Cycle
Tidal Patterns
Tidal Currents
Tides and Earth’s Rotation
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
21 Global Climate Change
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Climate and Geology
The Climate System
Climate–Geology Connections
How Is Climate Change Detected?
Seafloor Sediment—A Storehouse of Climate Data
Oxygen Isotope Analysis
Climate Change Recorded in Glacial Ice
Tree Rings—Archives of Environmental History
Other Types of Proxy Data
Some Atmospheric Basics
Composition of the Atmosphere
Extent and Structure of the Atmosphere
Heating the Atmosphere
Energy from the Sun
The Paths of Incoming Solar Energy
Heating the Atmosphere: The Greenhouse Effect
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Plate Movements and Orbital Variations
Volcanic Activity and Climate Change
Solar Variability and Climate
Human Impact on Global Climate
Rising CO[Sub(2)] Levels
The Atmosphere’s Response
The Role of Trace Gases
GEOGRAPHICS: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Climate-Feedback Mechanisms
Types of Feedback Mechanisms
Computer Models of Climate: Important Yet Imperfect Tools
How Aerosols Influence Climate
Some Possible Consequences of Global Warming
Sea-Level Rise
The Changing Arctic
Increasing Ocean Acidity
The Potential for “Surprises”
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
22 Earth’s Evolution Through Geologic Time
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Is Earth Unique?
The Right Planet
The Right Location
The Right Time
Viewing Earth’s History
Birth of a Planet
From the Big Bang to Heavy Elements
From Planetesimals to Protoplanets
Earth’s Early Evolution
Origin and Evolution of the Atmosphere and Oceans
Earth’s Primitive Atmosphere
Oxygen in the Atmosphere
Evolution of the Oceans
Precambrian History: The Formation of Earth’s Continents
Earth’s First Continents
The Making of North America
Supercontinents of the Precambrian
Geologic History of the Phanerozoic: The Formation of Earth’s Modern Continents
Paleozoic History
Mesozoic History
Cenozoic History
Earth’s First Life
Origin of Life
Earth’s First Life: Prokaryotes
GEOGRAPHICS: Evolution of Life Through Geologic Time
Paleozoic Era: Life Explodes
Early Paleozoic Life-Forms
Vertebrates Move to Land
Reptiles: The First True Terrestrial Vertebrates
The Great Permian Extinction
Mesozoic Era: Age of the Dinosaurs
Gymnosperms: The Dominant Mesozoic Trees
Reptiles: Dominating the Land, Sea, and Sky
Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals
From Reptiles to Mammals
Marsupial and Placental Mammals
Humans: Mammals with Large Brains and Bipedal Locomotion
Large Mammals and Extinction
GEOGRAPHICS: Demise of the Dinosaur
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
23 Energy and Mineral Resources
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
Energy Resources: Traditional Fossil Fuels
Coal
Oil and Natural Gas
Oil Sands, Oil Shale, and Gas Hydrates
Oil Sands
Oil Shale
Gas Hydrates: A Fuel from Ocean-Floor Sediments
Nuclear Energy
Uranium
Obstacles to Development
Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Hydroelectric Power
Geothermal Energy
Biomass: Renewable Energy from Plants and Animals
Tidal Power
Mineral Resources
GEOGRAPHICS: Alberta’s Oil Sands
Igneous and Metamorphic Processes
Magmatic Segregation
Diamonds
Hydrothermal Solutions
Metamorphic Processes
Mineral Resources Related to Surface Processes
Weathering and Ore Deposits
Placer Deposits
Nonmetallic Mineral Resources
Building Materials
Industrial Minerals
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
24 Touring Our Solar System
Outline
Focus on Concepts
Our Solar System: An Overview
Nebular Theory: Formation of the Solar System
The Planets: Internal Structures and Atmospheres
Planetary Impacts
Earth’s Moon: A Chip Off the Old Block
How Did the Moon Form?
GEOGRAPHICS: Is Earth on a Collision Course?
Terrestrial Planets
Mercury: The Innermost Planet
Venus: The Veiled Planet
Mars: The Red Planet
GEOGRAPHICS: Mars Exploration
Jovian Planets
Jupiter: Lord of the Heavens
Saturn: The Elegant Planet
Uranus and Neptune: Twins
Small Solar System Bodies
Asteroids: Leftover Planetesimals
Comets: Dirty Snowballs
Meteoroids: Visitors to Earth
Dwarf Planets
Concepts in Review
Give It Some Tought
Appendix A: Metric and English Units Compared
Glossary
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INDEX (with direct page links)
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