Best of
Geology

2007

Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters


Donald R. Prothero - 2007
    Today there exists an amazing diversity of fossil humans, suggesting we walked upright long before we acquired large brains, and new evidence from molecules that enable scientists to decipher the tree of life as never before.The fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution. In this engaging and richly illustrated book, Donald R. Prothero weaves an entertaining though intellectually rigorous history out of the transitional forms and series that dot the fossil record. Beginning with a brief discussion of the nature of science and the "monkey business of creationism," Prothero tackles subjects ranging from flood geology and rock dating to neo-Darwinism and macroevolution. He covers the ingredients of the primordial soup, the effects of communal living, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, the mammalian explosion, and the leap from chimpanzee to human. Prothero pays particular attention to the recent discovery of "missing links" that complete the fossil timeline and details the debate between biologists over the mechanisms driving the evolutionary process.Evolution is an absorbing combination of firsthand observation, scientific discovery, and trenchant analysis. With the teaching of evolution still an issue, there couldn't be a better moment for a book clarifying the nature and value of fossil evidence. Widely recognized as a leading expert in his field, Prothero demonstrates that the transformation of life on this planet is far more awe inspiring than the narrow view of extremists.

Hard Road West: History and Geology along the Gold Rush Trail


Keith Heyer Meldahl - 2007
    Lured by the promise of riches, thousands of settlers left behind the forests, rain, and fertile soil of the eastern United States in favor of the rough-hewn lands of the American West. The dramatic terrain they struggled to cross is so familiar to us now that it is hard to imagine how frightening—even godforsaken—its sheer rock faces and barren deserts seemed to our forebears.        Hard Road West brings their perspective vividly to life, weaving together the epic overland journey of the covered wagon trains and the compelling story of the landscape they encountered. Taking readers along the 2,000-mile California Trail, Keith Meldahl uses the diaries and letters of the settlers themselves—as well as the countless hours he has spent following the trail—to reveal how the geology and geography of the West directly affected our nation’s westward expansion. He guides us through a corrugated landscape of sawtooth mountains, following the meager streams that served as lifelines through an arid land, all the way to California itself, where colliding tectonic plates created breathtaking scenery and planted the gold that lured travelers west in the first place. “Alternates seamlessly between vivid accounts of the 19th-century journey and lucid explanations of the geological events that shaped the landscape traveled. . . . The reader comes away with both an appreciation for the arduous cross-continental wagon journey and an understanding of the events that created such a vast and difficult landscape.”—Library Journal “[Meldahl] draws on his professional knowledge to explain the geology of the West, showing how centuries of geological activity had a direct effect on the routes taken by the travelers. . . . Meldahl provides a novel account of the largest overland migration since the Crusades.”—Science News

Earth - The Power of the Planet


Iain S. Stewart - 2007
    Earth has survived four and a half billion years of being 'stirred from below and bombarded from above' but at the start of the twenty-first century our planet faces new threats, brought about by human actions. It is the perfect time to look back on an extraordinary life and give Earth a thorough health-check. Each chapter focuses on one of Earth's most powerful forces - meteor impacts, plate tectonics, the ocean, atmosphere and ice - and explores their central role in keeping Earth alive.These are the forces that drive our planet and shape its destiny. We discover how a devastating cosmic impact blasted a huge chunk of Earth into space to form the Moon, how Earth nearly froze to death when it was completely encased in ice for millions of years, and how Earth's remarkable heat engine, its molten core, saved the day. Earth has been able to sustain complex life thanks to an extraordinary number of lucky breaks and coincidences. Scientists predict that one day it will die as the Sun heats up and expands. But are we hastening its end through our actions? This lavishly illustrated book will tell the epic story of the birth, life and future of our amazing planet.

Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway: A Road Trip Through the Best of the Prehistoric American West


Kirk R. Johnson - 2007
    rexes to ancient fossilized forests.

Behold the Mighty Dinosaur (The Modern Scholar)


John C. Kricher - 2007
    Aside from birds, all dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million years, yet, before then, they dominated Earth's terrestrial habitats for about 160 million years, far longer than primates, or humans, have been around. Dinosaurs present the ultimate puzzle in forensic science, but we have learned a great deal about them, especially in the last fifty years. Our view of dinosaurs has changed radically, and the evolution and biology of dinosaurs has become a popular topic in college curriculums. This lecture series will explain how this changing view of dinosaurs developed, the evolutionary and ecological relationships among dinosaurs, what it might have been like to be present in the Mesozoic Era during the time of the dinosaurs, and the question of what ultimately brought about the total extinction of all of the non-bird dinosaurs and the end of the Cretaceous Period. Although extinct, dinosaurs have never been more a focus of science than they are today. Course SyllabusLecture 1 What Is (or Was) a Dinosaur?Lecture 2 Digging Up DinosLecture 3 Dinosaurs DiscoveredLecture 4 The Bone WarsLecture 5 The Museum That Dinosaurs BuiltLecture 6 Dinosaurs Enter Pop CultureLecture 7 Dinosaur OriginsLecture 8 In the Days of DinosaursLecture 9 Dinosaur DiversityLecture 10 Dinosaurs Become DynamicLecture 11 Dinosaurs Become AirborneLecture 12 Dinosaurs as Living AnimalsLecture 13 T. REX Deconstructed and ReconstructedLecture 14 The Cretaceous Extinction Event

The Emerald Planet: How Plants Changed Earth's History


David Beerling - 2007
    Will temperatures rise by 2�C or 8�C over the next hundred years? Will sea levels rise by 2 or 30 feet? The only way that we can accurately answer questions like these is by looking into the distant past, for a comparison with the world long before the rise of mankind.We may currently believe that atmospheric shifts, like global warming, result from our impact on the planet, but the earth's atmosphere has been dramatically shifting since its creation. This book reveals the crucial role that plants have played in determining atmospheric change - and hence the conditions on the planet we know today. Along the way a number of fascinating puzzles arise: Why did plants evolve leaves? When and how did forests once grow on Antarctica? How did prehistoric insects manage to grow so large? The answers show the extraordinary amount plants can tell us about the history of the planet -- something that has often been overlooked amongst the preoccuputations with dinosaur bones and animal fossils.David Beerling's surprising conclusions are teased out from various lines of scientific enquiry, with evidence being brought to bear from fossil plants and animals, computer models of the atmosphere, and experimental studies. Intimately bound up with the narrative describing the dynamic evolution of climate and life through Earth's history, we find Victorian fossil hunters, intrepid polar explorers and pioneering chemists, alongside wallowing hippos, belching volcanoes, and restless landmasses.

Reservoir Geomechanics


Mark D. Zoback - 2007
    It considers key practical issues such as prediction of pore pressure, estimation of hydrocarbon column heights and fault seal potential, determination of optimally stable well trajectories, casing set points and mud weights, changes in reservoir performance during depletion, and production-induced faulting and subsidence. The book establishes the basic principles involved before introducing practical measurement and experimental techniques to improve recovery and reduce exploitation costs. It illustrates their successful application through case studies taken from oil and gas fields around the world. This book is a practical reference for geoscientists and engineers in the petroleum and geothermal industries, and for research scientists interested in stress measurements and their application to problems of faulting and fluid flow in the crust.

The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region


Wayne Grady - 2007
    This vast region is a study in contrasts: a hub of industry that's the resting spot for billions of migrating birds. 40 million residents, immense untamed forests. 95 percent of North America's fresh water and a dumping ground for poisonous wastes. The Great Lakes is an authoritative, accessible look at an ecosystem in eternal flux. Written by one of North America's most acclaimed science and nature writers, the book explores the area's geological formation and its role in human history; its diverse plant, bird, and animal species; and its significant physical, climatic, and environmental features. This captivating tribute to the Great Lakes region is also an essential guide to the challenge of preserving the natural world.

Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology


Derek C. Ford - 2007
    This new textbook has been substantially revised and updated. The first half of the book is a systematic presentation of the dissolution kinetics, chemical equilibria and physical flow laws relating to karst environments. It includes details of the many environmental factors that complicate their chemical evolution, with a critique of measurement of karst erosion rates. The second half of the book looks at the classification system for cave systems and the influence of climate and climatic change on karst development. The book ends with chapters on karst water resource management and a look at the important issues of environmental management, including environmental impact assessment, environmental rehabilitation, tourism impacts and conservation values. Practical application of karst studies are explained throughout the text.This new edition strengthens the book's position as the essential reference in the field. Karst geoscientists will not dare to stray beyond arm's reach of this volume. It is certain to remain the professional standard for many decades. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, August 2007

Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep


Mike Everhart - 2007
    But forget Jaws and Jurassic Park—nothing can prepare you for Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep, an amazing plunge into the Cretaceous oceans of 80 million years ago, a merciless realm ruled by the most ferocious animals ever to stalk the seas of planet Earth. More terrifying than anything known to humankind, it scarcely seems possible that these swift, massive underwater predators actually existed, but they did—and this is their frightening, fascinating, unforgettable story. Featuring incredibly realistic computer-generated images and 3-D film clips—with 3-D glasses—field photography by National Geographic cameramen, and much more, the book interweaves dramatic scenes of the far, far distant past; up-to-the-minute scientific profiles of nearly two dozen sea monsters; and a group portrait of the eccentric Sternberg family, Kansas-bred pioneers of marine paleontology. From giant sharks and fierce reptiles to the fossil-hunters who proved that today's land-locked Great Plains were once submerged, to the cutting-edge Large Format Film technology that made Sea Monsters possible, this book and the movie behind it will forever change how we think about marine predators—and make us look at the oceans of our world with new eyes and a shivery mix of wonderment and ancient, instinctive fear.

The Mountains of Saint Francis : Discovering the Geologic Events that Shaped our Earth


Walter Álvarez - 2007
    Alvarez had the first glimmer of that amazing insight when he noticed something odd in a rock outcrop in central Italy. Alvarez now returns to that rich terrain, this time to take the reader on an excavation of the Earth's distant past. We encounter the volcanoes that formed the Seven Hills of Rome; the majestic limestone Apennine mountains that started to develop millions of years ago under water; the evidence that the Mediterranean Sea completely evaporated to a sunken desert, perhaps several times; and the proof that continental plates once overran one another to form the Alps. In Alvarez's telling, all major geologic episodes are as dramatic as the great impact that killed the dinosaurs, even when they happen over eons and without huge creatures to witness them.

Over the Mountains: An Aerial View of Geology


John S. Shelton - 2007
    It's the Earth in all its splendor. Unfortunately, geology texts rarely communicate that sense of excitement.Enter Michael Collier, geologist, writer and one of America's premier aerial photographers. For over 20 years, he has piloted his Cessna 180 to inaccessible locations and returned with stunning photographs that lay bare the Earth's workings.Over the Mountains, the first book in Michael Collier's new series, focuses on geology's most spectacular subject in a most spectacular way. It includes: Detailed and breathtaking large-format color photographs covering the geology of every major mountain range in the United States Clear, easy-to-understand text, diagrams and captions that explain and illuminate the geologic processes shown in the photographs.After exploring the pages of Over the Mountains, readers will never think of mountains -- or geology -- in the same way again.

Theory of the Earth With Proofs and Illustrations, Volume 1 (of 4)


James Hutton - 2007
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Liberace: Your Personal Fashion Consultant


Michael Feder - 2007
    Need something for your sister's wedding or your holiday? This work has the suitable gold lame number to suit your needs. It also includes 15 outrageous outfits.

Bonebeds: Genesis, Analysis, and Paleobiological Significance


Raymond R. Rogers - 2007
    Often spectacularly preserved, bonebeds—both modern and ancient—can reveal more about life histories, ecological associations, and preservation patterns than any single skeleton or bone. For this reason, bonebeds are frequently studied by paleobiologists, geologists, and archeologists seeking to piece together the vertebrate record.Thirteen respected researchers combine their experiences in Bonebeds, providing readers with workable definitions, theoretical frameworks, and a compendium of modern techniques in bonebed data collection and analysis. By addressing the historical, theoretical, and practical aspects of bonebed research, this edited volume—the first of its kind—provides the background and methods that students and professionals need to explore and understand these fantastic records of ancient life and death.

Fossil Ecosystems of North America: A Guide to the Sites and Their Extraordinary Biotas


John R. Nudds - 2007
    Some sites, for instance, contain nearly complete preserved records of ancient life. Fourteen of these remarkable fossil depositories are found in North America, including Mistaken Point in Newfoundland, Mazon Creek in Illinois, and Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles. Fossil Ecosystems of North America describes these and eleven other sites that range across the continent. John R. Nudds and Paul A. Selden introduce each site and place the fossil findings in geologic and evolutionary context. They go on to describe the history of research at each site—the sedimentology, stratigraphy, biota, paleoecology—and offer comparisons to other localities of similar age or environment. Fossil Ecosystems of North America also includes an appendix of museums at which readers can see specimens from the sites and suggestions for visiting the sites in person. In some cases, new specimens can still be collected from these sites by professionals and amateurs alike. Accessible and informative, this guide to Fossil-Lagerstätten will appeal to expert scientists and adventuresome lay paleontologists alike.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rocks of the World: A Practical Guide to Over 150 Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks


John Farndon - 2007
    Includes expert analysis of the key rock-forming environments of the world, plus advice on identifying rock types and building a spectacular collection.

Introduction to Planetary Science: The Geological Perspective


Gunter Faure - 2007
    Planetary science provides an opportunity for these students to apply a wide range of subject matter pertaining to the Earth to the study of other planets and their principal satellites. In this way, planetary science tends to unify subjects in the Earth Sciences that are traditionally taught separately. Therefore, planetary science is well-suited to be taught as a capstone course for senior undergraduates in geology departments and as an introduction to the solar system in astronomy departments. Both groups of students will benefit because planetary science bridges the gap between geology and astronomy and it prepares geologists and astronomers to participate actively in the on-going exploration of the solar system.The subject matter is presented in 24 chapters that lead the reader through the solar system starting with historical perspectives on space exploration and the development of the scientific method. The presentations concerning the planets and their satellites emphasize that their origin and subsequent evolution can be explained by applications of certain basic principles of physics, chemistry, and celestial mechanics and that the surface features of the solid bodies in the solar system can be interpreted by means of the principles of geology.

Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona


Lon Abbott - 2007
    At twenty special sites in this timeless landscape, readers can see and sometimes touch evidence of an ancient supercontinent and colliding volcanic island arcs, mighty mountain ranges and tropical seas, thousand-foot sand dunes, a meteor with deep impact, swimming dilophosaurs, a spring that grows rock, and more.The Geology Underfoot series encourages you to get out of your car for an up-close look at rocks and landforms. Books in the series inform, no matter how much geology you know. They�re also simply a good read, on-site or in the comfort of your home.

The Bristlecone Book: A Natural History of the World's Oldest Trees


Ronald M. Lanner - 2007
    The Bristlecone book: A Natural History of the World's Oldest Trees brings together for the first time the captivating facts about bristlecone and foxtail pines-trees that thrive in a harsh environment and live thousands of years-with a special focus on Great Basin Bristlecone pine, the oldest tree species on earth. In this extraordinary journey into the world of bristlecones, author Ronald Lanner exposes the trees' inner workings, taking apart a pine to examine bark, buds, needles, cones, and roots, and wood. He follows a tree's lifespan from seedling to great old age, presenting a new interpretation of stages of growth. He explains the unusual colors and forms that make bristlecones so picturesque, describes how the forces of nature influence the trees' unique shapes, and reveals their secrets of long life. Readers will discover where to go to see these trees and how to identify them. A stunning pageant of color photos shows off bristlecones and their remarkable growth patterns, and a map shows locations of groves.

Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway Map


Kirk R. Johnson - 2007
    A companion map for Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway , which follows the zany travels of a paleontologist and an artist as they drive across the American West in search of fossils.

Trace Fossil Analysis


Adolf Seilacher - 2007
    It covers the whole geologic column and ranges from deep-sea to shallow-marine and continental environments. The book is designed to foster interpretative skills using the author's own drawings. They are thematically grouped in 75 plates that form the core for the descriptive text and annotated references. A glossary of ichnological terms is also provided. This book s author is perhaps the world s most acknowledged expert in the field of trace fossils."

The Red Volcanoes: Face to Face with the Mountains of Fire


G. Brad Lewis - 2007
    Along with its counterpart Piton de La Fournaise, on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, it is characterized by extraordinary lava flows that travel great distances  through a spectacular landscape. Together, they form the focus of this dazzling photographic essay by two renowned photographers who have spent years living side by side with their subjects, striving to capture the raw fires of the Earth at their most dramatic.With an introduction by Jack Lockwood, one of the world's leading volcanologists ,and Alain Gerente, a documentary filmmaker, this is an invitation to share an amazing glimpse into the heart of these volcanoes.

Canada Rocks: The Geologic Journey


Nick Eyles - 2007
    Profusely illustrated throughout with full colour and black and white photographs, charts, maps, graphs and sketches, the book explores the country from north to south, and from east to west, exploring that incredible history through modern day sites and land shapes created in our distant past. Read about: Rocks in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax were once part of Morocco, left behind when the Atlantic Ocean came into being. Canada's Arctic regions were formerly part of what today is Siberia. Greenland was once a part of Labrador. Fossils in a road cut in Cache Creek, British Columbia once lived in a sea that covered China. The violent collisions of continents and other land masses, the growth and decay of enormous mountain ranges, the impact of meteorites, and the comings and goings of vast ice sheets are explored in fascinating detail, as is the creation of our rocky resources from coal to diamonds. An essential reference for students and anyone fascinated with the geological forces that created our country, the book includes a great many sites that can be visited for close-up study, making it an invaluable field guide for exploring our history and the world around us.

Deserts and Desert Environments


Julie Laity - 2007
     Examines the physical systems occurring in desert environments, including climate, hydrology, past and present lakes, weathering, hillslopes, geomorphic surfaces, water as a geomorphic agent, and aeolian processes Offers an accessible introduction to the physical, biological, temporal, and human components of drylands Investigates the nature, environmental requirements, and essential geomorphic roles of plants and animals in this stressful biological environment Highlights the impact of human population growth on climate, desertification, water resources, and dust storm activity Includes an examination of surface/atmosphere interactions and the impact of ENSO events.

Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy


Melinda Dyar - 2007
    It covers crystallography, crystal chemistry, systematic mineralogy, and optical mineralogy. The textbook is organized to facilitate spiral learning, with introductory through advanced chapters on each of these four topics. A chapter on hand sample identification is also included.Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy is now available not only in print in paperback with DVD-ROM but as an engaging new series of chapters for iPad and Mac on iBooks. Either way, it's the same great textbook written by Melinda Darby Dyar and Mickey E. Gunter, illustrated by Dennis Tasa.The chapters differ in several ways from a traditional mineralogy textbook: (1) it promotes learning in a digital environment; (2) the authors use modern pedagogy; (3) it is written so that the more advanced chapters build on information learned in earlier chapters; (4) each chapter in the digital series is available separately allowing the instructor to pick and choose only those chapters needed for their specific course.Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy is specifically designed to take full advantage of digital media technology to empower students and teachers of mineralogy. Using color photographs, illustrations, movies, 3-D rotatable crystal structure models made with CrystalMaker®, interactive diagrams, and review questions, this series makes a challenging subject approachable. On either the digital series or DVD-ROM you will find well over a thousand animations and full-color images of every illustration in the text.

Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis: A Complete Introduction: Teach Yourself


David A. Rothery - 2007
    It covers plate tectonics, the intricacies of each terrible phenomena, and their effects as well as the impact they have on each other, how they can be predicted and, if possible, controlled.Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features:Not got much time?One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.Author insightsLots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author?s many years of experience.Test yourselfTests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.Extend your knowledgeExtra online articles to give you a richer understanding of the subject.Five things to rememberQuick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.Try thisInnovative exercises illustrate what you?ve learnt and how to use it.