The changing earth: exploring geology and evolution [Seventh edition] 2013940238, 9781285733418, 128573341X, 9781305258600, 1305258606

Table of contents :
Brief Contents......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 15
Ch 1: Understanding Earth: A Dynamic and Evolving Planet......Page 22
1.2: What is Geology?......Page 24
1.3: Geology and the Formulation of Theories......Page 25
1.5: How Does Geology Affect Our Everyday Lives?......Page 26
1.6: Global Geologic and Environmental Issues Facing Humankind......Page 27
1.7: Origin of the Universe and Solar System, and Earth's Place in Them......Page 30
Geo-Insight 1.1: Mars-The "Red Planet"......Page 34
1.8: Why Earth is a Dynamic and Evolving Planet......Page 36
1.9: The Rock Cycle......Page 38
1.10: Organic Evolution and the History of Life......Page 41
1.11: Geologic Time and Uniformitarianism......Page 42
1.12: How Does the Study of Geology Benefit Us?......Page 43
Ch 2: Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory......Page 46
2.2: Early Ideas About Continental Drift......Page 48
2.3: What is the Evidence for Continental Drift?......Page 49
2.4: Features of the Seafloor......Page 52
2.5: Earth's Magnetic Field......Page 55
2.6: Paleomagnetism and Polar Wandering......Page 56
2.7: Magnetic Reversals and Seafloor Spreading......Page 57
2.9: The Three Types of Plate Boundaries......Page 60
Geo-Insight 2.1: Plate Boundaries, Earthquakes, and Tsunami......Page 62
2.10: Hot Spots and Mantle Plumes......Page 69
2.11: Plate Movement and Motion......Page 70
2.12: The Driving Mechanism of Plate Tectonics......Page 71
2.13: Plate Tectonics and the Distribution of Natural Resources......Page 73
2.14: Plate Tectonics and the Distribution of Life......Page 75
Ch 3: Minerals-The Building Blocks of Rocks......Page 80
3.1: Introduction......Page 82
3.2: Matter-What is It?......Page 83
Geo-Insight 3.1: The Precious Metals and Gemstones......Page 84
3.3: Explore the World of Minerals......Page 88
3.4: Mineral Groups Recognized by Geologists......Page 91
3.5: Mineral Identification......Page 95
3.6: Rock-Forming Minerals......Page 97
3.7: How Do Minerals Form?......Page 98
3.8: Economic Geology......Page 99
Ch 4: Igneous Rocks and Plutons......Page 106
4.2: The Properties and Behavior of Magma and Lava......Page 108
4.3: How Does Magma Originate and Change?......Page 110
4.4: Igneous Rocks-Their Characteristics and Classification......Page 115
Geo-Focus 4.1: Granite-Common, Attractive, and Useful......Page 120
4.5: Intrusive Igneous Bodies-Plutons......Page 123
4.6: The Origin of Batholiths......Page 126
Ch 5: Volcanoes and Volcanism......Page 130
5.1: Introduction......Page 132
5.2: Volcanoes and Volcanism......Page 133
Geo-Focus 5.1: Do Volcanic Gases Cause Ozone Depletion?......Page 136
5.3: Types of Volcanoes......Page 139
5.4: Other Volcanic Landforms......Page 146
5.5: Volcano Belts......Page 147
5.6: North America's Active Volcanoes......Page 148
5.7: Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, and Plutons......Page 149
5.8: Volcanic Hazards, Volcano Monitoring, and Forecasting Eruptions......Page 151
Ch 6: Weathering, Erosion, and Soil......Page 156
6.1: Introduction......Page 158
6.3: Mechanical Weathering-Disaggregation of Earth Materials......Page 159
6.4: Chemical Weathering-Decomposition of Earth Materials......Page 161
Geo-Focus 6.1: Industrialization and Acid Rain......Page 162
6.5: Soil and Its Origin......Page 166
6.6: Expansive Soils and Soil Degradation......Page 170
6.7: Weathering and Resources......Page 174
Ch 7: Sediment and Sedimentary Rocks......Page 178
7.2: Sediment Sources, Transport, and Deposition......Page 180
7.3: How Does Sediment Become Sedimentary Rock?......Page 181
7.4: Types of Sedimentary Rocks......Page 182
7.6: Sedimentary Rocks-The Archives of Earth History......Page 187
Geo-Insight 7.1: Fossilization......Page 192
Geo-Focus 7.1: State Fossils......Page 195
7.7: Sedimentary Rocks and Economic Geology......Page 196
Ch 8: Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks......Page 200
8.1: Introduction......Page 202
8.2: The Agents of Metamorphism......Page 203
Geo-Focus 8.1: Asbestos: Good or Bad?......Page 204
8.3: The Three Types of Metamorphism......Page 206
8.4: How Are Metamorphic Rocks Classified?......Page 209
8.5: Metamorphic Zones and Facies......Page 214
8.6: Plate Tectonics and Metamorphism......Page 215
8.7: Metamorphism and Natural Resources......Page 216
Ch 9: Earthquakes and Earth's Interior......Page 220
9.1: Introduction......Page 222
9.2: Elastic Rebound Theory......Page 223
9.3: Seismology......Page 224
9.4: Where Do Earthquakes Occur, and How Often?......Page 225
9.5: Seismic Waves......Page 227
9.6: Locating an Earthquake......Page 228
9.7: Measuring the Strength of an Earthquake......Page 229
9.8: What Are the Destructive Effects of Earthquakes?......Page 234
Geo-Insight 9.1: Designing and Building Earthquake-Resistant Structures......Page 236
9.9: Earthquake Prediction......Page 240
Geo-Focus 9.1: Paleoseismology......Page 242
9.10: Earthquake Control......Page 244
9.11: What Is Earth's Interior Like?......Page 246
9.12: The Core......Page 248
9.13: Earth's Mantle......Page 249
9.16: Earth's Crust......Page 250
Ch 10: Deformation, Mountain Building, and Earth's Crust......Page 254
10.2: Rock Deformation-How Does It Occur?......Page 256
10.4: Deformation and Geologic Structures......Page 258
10.5: Deformation and the Origin of Mountains......Page 264
Geo-Focus 10.1: Engineering and Geology......Page 266
10.6: Earth's Crust......Page 272
Ch 11: Mass Wasting......Page 276
11.2: Factors That Influence Mass Wasting......Page 278
11.3: Types of Mass Wasting......Page 283
Geo-Focus 11.1: Southern California Landslides......Page 286
11.4: Recognizing and Minimizing the Effects of Mass Wasting......Page 296
Ch 12: Running Water-Streams and Rivers......Page 302
12.2: Water on Earth......Page 304
12.3: Running Water......Page 306
12.5: Deposition by Running Water......Page 308
12.6: Can Floods Be Predicted and Controlled?......Page 313
Geo-Focus 12.1: The Mississippi River Delta-Past and Present......Page 314
Geo-Insight 12.1: The Mississippi River Floods of 1993 and 2011......Page 316
12.7: Drainage Systems......Page 319
12.8: The Evolution of Valleys......Page 322
12.9: Water as a Natural Resource......Page 325
Ch 13: Groundwater......Page 328
13.3: Porosity and Permeability......Page 330
13.4: The Water Table......Page 331
13.6: Springs, Water Wells, and Artesian Systems......Page 332
13.7: Groundwater Erosion and Deposition......Page 335
13.8: Modification of the Groundwater System and Its Effects......Page 338
Geo-Focus 13.1: Hydraulic Fracturing: Pros and Cons......Page 340
Geo-Insight 13.1: Arsenic and Old Lace......Page 346
13.9: Hydrothermal Activity......Page 349
Ch 14: Glaciers and Glaciation......Page 356
14.2: The Kinds of Glaciers......Page 358
14.3: Glaciers-Moving Bodies of Ice on Land......Page 359
Geo-Insight 14.1: The Little Ice Age......Page 360
14.4: The Glacial Budget......Page 364
Geo-Focus 14.1: Glaciers and Global Warming......Page 366
14.5: Erosion and Sediment Transport by Glaciers......Page 368
14.6: Glacial Deposits......Page 373
14.7: What Causes Ice Ages?......Page 378
Ch 15: The Work of Wind and Deserts......Page 382
15.2: Sediment Transport by Wind......Page 384
15.3: Wind Erosion......Page 386
15.4: Wind Deposits......Page 387
15.5: Air-Pressure Belts and Global Wind Patterns......Page 391
15.6: The Distribution of Deserts......Page 392
15.7: Characteristics of Deserts......Page 394
15.8: Desert Landforms......Page 396
Geo-Focus 15.1: Windmills and Wind Power......Page 398
Ch 16: Oceans, Shorelines, and Shoreline Processes......Page 404
16.1: Introduction......Page 406
16.2: Exploring the Oceans......Page 407
16.3: Seawater and Oceanic Circulation......Page 408
16.4: Shorelines and Shoreline Processes......Page 409
Geo-Focus 16.1: Energy from the Oceans......Page 412
16.5: Shoreline Erosion and Deposition......Page 418
16.6: Types of Coasts......Page 424
16.7: The Perils of Living Near a Shoreline......Page 426
16.8: The Oceans and Economic Geology......Page 429
Ch 17: Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles......Page 432
17.3: Early Concepts of Geologic Time and Earth's Age......Page 434
17.4: James Hutton and the Recognition of Geologic Time......Page 435
Geo-Focus 17.1: The Anthropocene: A New Geologic Epoch?......Page 436
17.5: Relative Dating Methods......Page 439
17.6: Correlating Rock Units......Page 449
17.7: Absolute Dating Methods......Page 452
17.8: Development of the Geologic Time Scale......Page 457
17.9: Stratigraphy and Stratigraphic Terminology......Page 458
17.10: Geologic Time and Climate Change......Page 461
Ch 18: Organic Evolution-TheTheory and Its Supporting Evidence......Page 466
18.1: Introduction......Page 468
18.2: Organic Evolution: What Does It Mean?......Page 469
18.3: Mendel and the Birth of Genetics......Page 471
Geo-Insight 18.1: Artificial Selection, Natural Selection, Fossils, and Evolution......Page 472
18.4: The Modern View of Organic Evolution......Page 474
18.5: Evidence Supporting Evolutionary Theory......Page 480
Geo-Focus 18.1: Building a Dinochicken......Page 485
Ch 19: Precambrian Earth and Life History......Page 490
19.1: Introduction......Page 492
19.2: What Happened During the Hadean?......Page 493
19.3: The Foundations of Continents-Shields, Platforms, and Cratons......Page 494
19.4: Archean Earth History......Page 496
19.5: Proterozoic Earth History......Page 501
19.6: Origin and Evolution of the Atmosphere and Hydrosphere......Page 507
19.7: Life-Its Origin and Early History......Page 509
19.8: Resources in Precambrian Rocks......Page 516
Ch 20: Paleozoic Earth History......Page 520
20.2: Continental Architecture: Cratons and Mobile Belts......Page 522
20.3: Paleozoic Paleogeography......Page 523
20.4: Paleozoic Evolution of North America......Page 528
20.5: The Sauk Sequence......Page 530
20.6: The Tippecanoe Sequence......Page 531
20.7: The Kaskaskia Sequence......Page 535
20.8: The Absaroka Sequence......Page 539
20.9: History of the Paleozoic Mobile Belts......Page 545
Geo-Insight 20.1: The Devonian Old Red Sandstone......Page 548
20.10: What Role Did Microplates and Terranes Play in the Formation of Pangaea?......Page 551
20.11: Paleozoic Mineral Resources......Page 552
Ch 21: Paleozoic Life History......Page 558
21.2: What Was the Cambrian Explosion?......Page 560
21.3: The Emergence of a Shelly Fauna......Page 561
21.4: The Present Marine Ecosystem......Page 562
21.5: Paleozoic Invertebrate Marine Life......Page 563
Geo-Insght 21.1: Trilobites-Paleozoic Arthropods......Page 566
21.6: Vertebrate Evolution......Page 573
21.7: Fish......Page 574
21.8: Amphibians-Vertebrates Invade the Land......Page 579
21.9: Evolution of the Reptiles-The Land is Conquered......Page 581
21.10: Plant Evolution......Page 585
Ch 22: Mesozoic Earth and Life History......Page 594
22.2: The Breakup of Pangaea......Page 596
22.3: Mesozoic History of North America......Page 600
22.4: What Role Did Accretion of Terranes Play in the Growth of Western North America?......Page 609
22.6: Life of the Mesozoic Era......Page 610
Geo-Insight 22.1: Dinosaurs......Page 616
22.7: Mesozoic Climates and Paleogeography......Page 624
Geo-Focus 22.2: Mary Anning's Contributions to Paleontology......Page 625
22.8: Mass Extinctions-A Crisis in the History of Life......Page 626
Ch 23: Cenozoic Earth and Life History......Page 632
23.3: Cenozoic Orogenic Belts......Page 634
23.4: Paleogene and Neogene Evolution of North America......Page 636
Geo-Insight 23.1: The Columbia River Basalts......Page 640
Geo-focus 23.1: Geology Along the Oregon Trail in Nebraska......Page 645
23.5: The Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs......Page 648
23.6: Cenozoic Mineral Resources......Page 651
23.7: Paleogene and Neogene Life History......Page 652
23.8: Pleistocene Faunas......Page 659
Ch 24: Geology in Perspective......Page 674
24.2: Geology and the Environment......Page 676
24.3: A Final Word......Page 681
A: English-Metric Conversion Chart......Page 682
B: Topographic Maps......Page 683
C: Mineral Identification......Page 687
Answers......Page 689
Glossary......Page 695
Index......Page 711