The title refers to the physiographic province of the United States that reaches from eastern Utah to eastern California, a silent world of austere beauty, of hundreds of discrete high mountain ranges that are green with junipers and often white with snow. The terrain becomes the setting for a lyrical evocation of the science of geology, with important digressions into the plate-tectonics revolution and the history of the geologic time scale.

    Drawing upon the original journals and reports, Morgan tells his story largely in terms of individuals, interweaving portraits of well-known historical figures with those who are more obscure but who have a special significance.Journalist and historian Murray Morgan (1916-2000) was the author of more than twenty books, including Skid Road: An Informal Portrait of Seattle and The Last Wilderness. He worked for Time magazine, the New York Herald Tribune, and CBS News before returning to Washington where he taught at Tacoma Community College and for fifteen years hosted the early morning radio show "Our Town, Our World."

    Over 100 maps and photographs. Detailed yet readable by non-scientists.

    The study of sediments and sedimentary rocks continues to be a core topic in the Earth Sciences and this book aims to provide a concise account of their composition, mineralogy, textures, structures, diagenesis and depositional environments.This latest edition is noteworthy for the inclusion of 16 plates with 54 colour photomicrographs of sedimentary rocks in thin-section. These bring sediments to life and show their beauty and colorful appearance down the microscope; they will aid the student enormously in laboratory petrographic work. The text has been revised where necessary and the reference and further reading lists brought up-to-date. New tables have been included to help undergraduates with rock and thin-section description and interpretation.New 16-page colour section will mean students do not need to buy Longman Atlas All illustrations redrawn to higher standard Complete revision of text - new material on sedimentary geochemistry, etc

    Numerous illustrations and B/W photos.

    It is well produced with clear illustrations and text, and gives excellent factual information on a large number of topics."(Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology)"...represents a significant contribution to the literature of geoscience. It should be in the library of anyone seriously intereted in sedimentology."(Marine Geology)"This book is still unsurpassed in providing a good, basic synthesis of modern sedimentary environments, especially the physical attributes of the deposits being formed and the processes responsible..." (Sedimentary Geology)

    This volume provides a portrait of the planet as experienced not just by scientists, but by artists, aviators, poets, philosophers, novelists, historians, and sociologists as well. It seeks to represent the human experience over the centuries, covering a span of 2,500 years." At the same time, Language of the Earth reflects the planet's extraordinary diversity, from dripping mines and caves to the high deserts of the Andes, the Antarctic ice sheet, and even the surface of the moon. Its comprehensive approach bridges the gap between science and the humanities. Arranged in four distinct parts, with writings from 117 different authors, Language of the Earth surveys the richness, beauty, and sustainability of the planet.

    Course found in both Geology and Oceanography departments. The first comprehensive and entirely new volume on marine geology since the emergence of the plate tectonic revolution in earth sciences and deep-sea drilling. Written by a foremost authority in the field.