Essentials of Geology with Access Code

652 Pages·104.615 MB·English

by  Marshak, Stephen

ESSENTIALS OF
GEOLOGY
FOURTH EDITION
Stephen Marshak

Essentials of Geology
FOURTH EDITION

Essentials of Geology
FOURTH EDITION
Stephen Marshak
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
(cid:0)
W. W. NORTON & COMPANY
NEW YORK LONDON
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Fourth Edition
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Cover photo: Wave-carved granite cliffs along the Côte Sauvage (“Wild Coast”), on the south side
of Brittany, France (Lat 47°30’36.11”N, Long 3°9’1.17”W)
DEDICATION
To Kathy, David, Emma, and Michelle
Brief Contents
Preface xvii
Prelude And Just What Is Geology? 1
Chapter 1 The Earth in Context 9
Chapter 2 The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics 35
Chapter 3 Patterns in Nature: Minerals 71
Interlude A Rock Groups 88
Chapter 4 Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks 97
Chapter 5 The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions 119
Interlude B A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils 148
Chapter 6 Pages of Earth’s Past: Sedimentary Rocks 163
Chapter 7 Metamorphism: A Process of Change 189
Interlude C The Rock Cycle 210
Chapter 8 A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes 217
Interlude D The Earth’s Interior Revisited: Insights from Geophysics 252
Chapter 9 Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and
Mountain Building 265
Interlude E Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution 292
Chapter 10 Deep Time: How Old Is Old? 305
Chapter 11 A Biography of Earth 329
Chapter 12 Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources 353
Interlude F An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle 386
Chapter 13 Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements 397
Chapter 14 Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water 417
Chapter 15 Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts 445
Chapter 16 A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater 473
Chapter 17 Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts 497
Chapter 18 Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages 515
Chapter 19 Global Change in the Earth System 545
Metric Conversion Chart
The Periodic Table of Elements
Glossary G-1
Credits C-1
Index I-1
vi
Contents
Preface (cid:154) xvii
See for Yourself—Using Google EarthTM xix
PRELUDE
And Just What Is Geology? (cid:154) 1
P.1 In Search of Ideas 1
P.2 The Nature of Geology 2
P.3 Themes of This Book 3
BOX P.1 CONSIDER THIS . . .
Heat and Heat Transfer (cid:153) 4
BOX P.2 CONSIDER THIS . . .
The Scientific Method (cid:153) 6
CHAPTER 1
The Earth in Context (cid:154) 9
1.1 Introduction 9
1.2 An Image of Our Universe 10
1.3 Forming the Universe 13
BOX 1.1 CONSIDER THIS . . .
The Nature of Matter (cid:153) 16
1.4 We Are All Made of Stardust 17
BOX 1.2 CONSIDER THIS . . .
Meteors and Meteorites (cid:153) 20
1.5 Welcome to the Neighborhood 21
GEOLOGY AT A GLANCE
Forming the Planets and the Earth-Moon System (cid:153) 22–23
1.6 Looking Inward—Introducing the Earth’s Interior 26
1.7 What Are the Layers Made Of? 29
Chapter 1 Review 32
See for Yourself A: Earth and Sky 33
CHAPTER 2
The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics (cid:154) 35
2.1 Introduction 35
2.2 Wegener’s Evidence for Continental Drift 36
2.3 Paleomagnetism and the Proof of Continental Drift 39
vii