Tropical seas lap on the shores of an Arizona beach. Immense sand dunes shift and swirl in Sahara-like deserts in Utah and New Mexico. Ancient rivers spill from a mountain range in Colorado that was a precursor to the modern Rockies. Such flights of geologic fancy are now tangible through the thought-provoking and beautiful paleogeographic maps, reminiscent of the maps in world atlases we all paged through as children, of Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau.Ron Blakey of Northern Arizona University is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau. For more than fifteen years, he has meticulously created maps that show how numerous past landscapes gave rise to the region’s stunning geologic formations. Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau is the first book to showcase Blakey’s remarkable work. His maps are accompanied by text by Wayne Ranney, geologist and award-winning author of Carving Grand Canyon. Ranney takes readers on a fascinating tour of the many landscapes depicted in the maps, and Blakey and Ranney’s fruitful collaboration brings the past alive like never before.Features: More than 70 state-of-the-art paleogeographic maps of the region and of the world, developed over many years of geologic research Detailed yet accessible text that covers the geology of the plateau in a way nongeologists can appreciate More than 100 full-color photographs, diagrams, and illustrations A detailed guide of where to go to see the spectacular rocks of the region

    Learn how to identify more than 450 rock and mineral specimens through stunning photographs and detailed characteristics. Discover more about your finds through folklore and historical artifacts, and find out the fascinating stories behind the world's natural treasures; from the Hope diamond to the Great Mogul emerald. Plus, pick up practical advice on rock and mineral collecting, including how to cut, polish and display your finds.

    Includes these Hannah Montana hits in E-Z Play notation: The Best of Both Worlds * Find Yourself in You * I Got Nerve * Just like You * Life's What You Make It * Nobody's Perfect * One in a Million * The Other Side of Me * We Got the Party.Many other Hannah Montana editions also available

    Incorporated in the many up-to-the moment regional maps that portray each continent are hundreds of brilliant photographs—each depicting unique natural and cultural treasures that have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. From the vast plains of the Serengeti to the Kasbah of Algiers, from prehistoric rock art to the statue of Liberty, these incomparable locales are under UN protection for future generations to know and enjoy.Thematic maps enhance the global coverage, detailing trends and characteristics of today’s critical issues: natural resources, energy, population, religion, economy and trade, conflict, climate change. The latest political boundaries and country names are incorporated, as well as vital information on the oceans, space, national flags, and more. Engaging layouts, functional design, and a new comprehensive place-name index allow the reader to easily navigate around the globe to discover or confirm more than 50,000 locations. The supreme accuracy and practicality of the maps, charts, and country facts and tables—as well as the inspirational collection of more than 600 photographs, satellite images, and illustrations—make the National Geographic Visual Atlas of the World a must-have reference for families, travelers, students, and scholars.

    One sentence highlighted. Tracking number provided in your account with every order. A portion of the proceeds is donated to local libraries.

    With thousands of photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and maps and a text written by a team of international experts, it presents an impressive overview of our globe—beginning with the history of the universe and ending with today's conservation issues. A truly spectacular reference, The Encyclopedia of Earth offers new visual interpretations of many ideas, concepts, and facts, painting a fascinating picture of Earth today and across the ages. The encyclopedia is divided into six sections that are designed for either browsing or in-depth study. Birth gives an overview of Earth's 4.6-billion-year history, including the evolution of life. Fire explains the inner workings of our dynamic planet, its structure, and the tectonic forces that have molded its landscape. Land surveys rocks, minerals, and habitats. Air covers weather, including extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Water tours the oceans, rivers, and lakes of the world. The final section, Humans, provides a compelling portrait of our relationship with Earth, and of how the natural world has shaped social and political developments. Copub: Weldon Owen Publishing The Encyclopedia of Earth features: * Some of the world's finest landscape photography and hundreds of detailed illustrations and diagrams, cross sections, cutaways, maps, and charts * Coverage of topics including volcanology, paleontology, geology, natural history, cosmology, and more * Simple, easy-to-understand explanations of complex phenomena * The most recent scientific information and conservation data * "Fact files" providing information at readers' fingertips * "Heritage Watch" boxes focusing on key conservation issues and World Heritage sites

    Legendary geologist J Harlen Bretz was the first to explore the area, starting in the 1920s. This dramatic book tells the story of this scientific maverick — how he came to study the region, his radical theory that a flood of biblical proportions created it, and how a campaign by the mainstream geologic community tried to derail him for pursuing an idea that satellite photos would confirm decades later.

    The geologists of the period, many of whom were devout believers, agreed about this vast timescale. But despite this apparent harmony between geology and Genesis, these scientists still debated a great many questions: Had the earth cooled from its origin as a fiery ball in space, or had it always been the same kind of place as it is now? Was prehuman life marked by mass extinctions, or had fauna and flora changed slowly over time?The first detailed account of the reconstruction of prehuman geohistory, Martin J. S. Rudwick’s Worlds Before Adam picks up where his celebrated Bursting the Limits of Time leaves off. Here, Rudwick takes readers from the post-Napoleonic Restoration in Europe to the early years of Britain’s Victorian age, chronicling the staggering discoveries geologists made during the period: the unearthing of the first dinosaur fossils, the glacial theory of the last ice age, and the meaning of igneous rocks, among others. Ultimately, Rudwick reveals geology to be the first of the sciences to investigate the historical dimension of nature, a model that Charles Darwin used in developing his evolutionary theory.Featuring an international cast of colorful characters, with Georges Cuvier and Charles Lyell playing major roles and Darwin appearing as a young geologist, Worlds Before Adam is a worthy successor to Rudwick’s magisterial first volume. Completing the highly readable narrative of one of the most momentous changes in human understanding of our place in the natural world, Worlds Before Adam is a capstone to the career of one of the world’s leading historians of science.

    This book features fossils, photographs, illustrations and maps that help bring the story to life. It also includes a pronunciation guide, glossary and index.

    Each section of the book starts with an informative introduction explaining how the phenomena formed and their major defining characteristics, the formations in which they are typically found, and where the best examples are to be found around the world. How-to techniques for the amateur geologist and palaeontologist show how to extract samples safely, and how to identify, date and classify them. The book's major feature is its two extensive visual directories -one on rocks and minerals and one on fossils - containing over 800 in-depth specimen profiles. Each profile features a superb color photograph for easy identification. Handy information boxes give facts and figures such as type and location, and detailed artworks and reconstructions show the form and structure of rocks, and how each fossil originally looked.

    Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics. All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified. Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students.

    It contains modern up-to-date data and clear instructions for producing show-quality tumbled rocks, shells and glass. Complete with vivid color pictures of the tumbling process and equipment.

    In Last Unspoiled Place, the magnificent confines of Logan Canyon, Utah, prove the perfect landscape for exploring these beliefs. In brilliant photographs and vivid anecdotes that range from poignant to exhilarating to hilarious, author Michael Sweeney takes us on an unforgettable tour through the canyon's unsullied terrain. As he marks the 41 miles of the national scenic byway that courses through, he reveals Logan's vivid past and astonishing natural history-as well as its closely kept secrets. Anecdotes range from bull snakes to bank robbers, from a legendary witch to the curse of "green invaders," and from the first known human inhabitants-the northwestern Shoshone-to current-day characters such as snowboarders, beekeepers, botanists, and whitewater hounds. In the National Geographic tradition, Last Unspoiled Place is richly illustrated with scores of photographs-both current and historic-that capture the beauty of Logan Canyon and the surrounding Cache Valley.Filled with excitement and brimming with eloquent stories, more than a trip through a canyon, this book is a natural choice for Father's Day and other gift-giving occasions. Eye-catching and affordable, it will grab the attention of audiences interested in adventure, travel, wilderness, history, and the American West.`

    Helens captured the attention of the region, nation, and the world, and it continues to fascinate us today a constant reminder that we live in a volcanic landscape. In lucid prose and poetry by some of Americas leading writers and ecologists, In the Blast Zone explores this story of destruction and renewal in all its human, geological, and ecological dimensions. Most popular accounts of the momentous eruption have focused on the devastation it caused. More recent scientific work on Mount St. Helens tells a story of unexpectedly rapid and varied ecological and geological change. In the Blast Zone is the first book to present a cross-pollination of literary and scientific perspectives on the mountains history of cataclysm and renewal. Most of the contributors to this volume camped together on Mount St. Helens for four days in 2005the 25th anniversary of the eruption hiking, learning the ecology, and sharing ideas. They asked the question: What can this radically altered landscape tell us about nature and how to live our lives? In the Blast Zone collects some of their answers. While introducing fascinating ecological and geological insights, it also tells compelling stories about how science informs our lives and our relationship to nature. These writings will startle readers with new recognition of the matchless gift Mount St. Helens makes to our region and the world: the gifts of beauty, of scientific illumination, of hope.

    Presenting the latest information on the gemstone industry, with an extensive section on ethical mining, conflict diamonds, and the emergence of new diamond centers, Gems of the World is a completely up-to-date reference for gemologists, rock hounds and general readers.Cally Oldershaw clearly explains the geology, chemistry and properties, and key aspects of gemstones. The main section of the book includes descriptions of a wide range of gems, each profiled with a color photograph showing its raw crystal, common cuts, and polished state for use in jewelry. At-a-glance charts identify refractive index, crystal group, luster, hardness and cleavage for each gem.The book also features illustrations of priceless jewelry, plus practical information on:Fashioning and cutting Collecting, handling and storing Weighing and measuring gemstones Lapidary and jewelry-making Choosing a gemstone, including buying abroad Caring for and cleaning gemstones and jewelry Spotting a fake Retail outlets and museums around the world. With its detailed descriptions, abundant illustrations and commentary on current developments, Gems of the World is an ideal reference for collectors, rock hounds and investors.

    The easy-to-use format means you'll quickly find what you need to know and where to look, while the authors' photographs depict the detail needed for identification - no need to guess from line drawings. With this field guide in hand, identifying and collecting can be fun and informative.

    This volume begins with an expanded treatment of the physics, chemistry, and meteorology of the atmospheres of the Earth, Venus, and Mars, moving on to their magnetospheres and then to a full discussion of the gas and ice giants and their properties. From here, attention switches to the small bodies of the solar system, beginning with the natural satellites. The comets, meteors, meteorites, and asteroids are discussed in order, and the volume concludes with the origin and evolution of our solar system. Finally, a fully revised section on extrasolar planetary systems puts the development of our system in a wider and increasingly well understood galactic context.All of the material is presented within a framework of historical importance. This book and its sister volume, Solar System Astrophysics: Background Science and the Inner Solar system, are pedagogically well written, providing clearly illustrated explanations, for example, of such topics as the numerical integration of the Adams-Williamson equation, the equations of state in planetary interiors and atmospheres, Maxwell's equations as applied to planetary ionospheres and magnetospheres, and the physics and chemistry of the Habitable Zone in planetary systems.Together, the volumes form a comprehensive text for any university course that aims to deal with all aspects of solar and extra-solar planetary systems. They will appeal separately to the intellectually curious who would like to know how just how far our knowledge of the solar system has progressed in recent years.

    Technical descriptions of the spacecraft, of their mission designs and of instrumentations will be provided. Scientific results will be discussed in considerable depth, together with details of mission management.The books will cover missions from the 1950s until the present day, and some of the latest missions and their results will appear in a popular science book for the first time. The authors will also cover many unflown projects, providing an indication of the ideas that proved to be unfulfilled at the time but which may still be proven and useful in the future.Just like Lunar Exploration, these books will use sources only recently made available on the Soviet space program, in addition to some obscure and rarely used references on the European space program.The project will deliver three volumes totaling over 1000 pages that will provide comprehensive coverage of the topic with thousands of references to the professional literature that should make it the 'first port of call' for people seeking information on the topic.

     Combines cutting-edge writing with beautiful full-color photography that captures the beauty of a fascinating array of natural and cut stones.<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /> Presents a wonderfully designed, in-depth directory that identifies each gemstone in turn, exploring every facet of common and rare gemstones, and precious metals. Includes an at-a-glance gallery of gemstones in miniature, plus a failsafe step-by-step identification system. Reveals interesting facts and surrounding folklore, as well as formation, structure, physical properties, and characteristics of gems, and details of how each might be worked and displayed.

    As as a geologist, one of America's premier aerial photographers and a gifted science writer, Michael Collier is exceptionally well qualified to present these spectacular landscapes and stunning aerial photographs that vividly demonstrate geological processes.Vivid text and clear captions guide readers through the exciting photographs, enhancing their understanding of fundamental geological processes. Collier explores, for example:How a 6,000-foot-deep canyon was carved out by the erosive power of a single river How violent tectonic forces millions of years ago vaulted a river over a mountain Why one river takes its time meandering, another suddenly drops over a cliff, and a third slowly separates into a sprawling delta. Over the Rivers inspires as it informs, and dazzles as it enlightens.

    The California Deserts explores the remarkable diversity of life in this harsh yet fragile quarter of the Golden State. In a rich narrative, it illuminates how that diversity, created by drought and heat, has evolved with climate change since the Ice Ages. Along the way, we find there is much to learn from each desert species— whether it is a cactus, pupfish, tortoise, or bighorn sheep—about adaptation to a warming, arid world. The book tells of human adaptation as well, and is underscored by a deep appreciation for the intimate knowledge acquired by native people during their 12,000-year desert experience. In this sense, the book is a journey of rediscovery, as it reflects on the ways that knowledge has been reclaimed and amplified by new discoveries. The book also takes the measure of the ecological condition of these deserts today, presenting issues of conservation, management, and restoration. With its many sidebars, photographs, and featured topics, The California Deserts provides a unique introduction to places of remarkable and often unexpected beauty.

    Generations of geoscientists have developed an increasing understanding of what makes New Zealand geologically unique and why. Highlights of this research, including many discoveries of global significance, are presented in this book. A Continent on the Move explains what makes New Zealand tick geologically, and illustrates the ways that geoscience research can make this country a better place in which to live. This book will be a stimulating addition to any coffee table and an asset in schools and universities. It will also enable politicians, planners, and developers to make more informed decisions regarding appropriate land use, beneficial utilisation of resources, and protection against geological hazards, through a better understanding of the dynamic environment we live in.

    Noted planetary geologist Ellen Stofan and veteran astronaut Tom Jones pair images of Earth-many captured by space shuttle and space station crewmembers-with astonishing scenes of alien surfaces beamed home by NASA's far-ranging robotic probes. Vivid illustrations of searing lava plains, windswept deserts, and stark craters demonstrate how natural forces have shaped these varied landscapes. This comprehensive new portrait of the solar system brings to light an array of important features never seen until today-and it highlights, for the first time, the similarities and contrasts between Earth and its neighbors in space. Anecdotal stories from space flights and exploratory missions make Planetology an absorbing read as well as an informative resource. The book's unique concept draws intriguing comparisons across multiple physical processes, and its dynamic design offers a fresh approach to the study of space. With extensive media and science experience and contacts for both authors, Planetology is positioned for stellar success.

    Since the appearance of primitive organisms in Britain more than a billion years ago, oceans, deserts, swamps and vast mountains have come and gone in our corner of western Europe; forests of long-extinct trees, flowers and grasses have covered the land, and dinosaurs and other strange creatures have roamed across it. How do we know? The evidence is all around us - in the rocks and fossils that lie beneath the landscape.In this highly informative and practical book, which accompanies the BBC series, presenter Hermione Cockburn and renowned palaeontologist Douglas Palmer take an in-depth look at the most exciting fossil stories from around the country. When and why were dinosaur fossils first discovered in Britain? How was the biggest fish ever to have swum in the sea unearthed near Peterborough? What do modern medical techniques have to offer fossil hunters?Packed with colour photographs and illustrations, Fossils Detectives is full of surprising facts and features. And for those who want to try their hand at some fossil detecting of their own, the book includes an extensive regional gazetteer of fossil-hunting sites and places to visit, and guidance on identifying your fossil finds.Get ready for some time travel around Britain, with the Fossil Detectives!

    It is a paleontological whodunit set in the late Jurassic period, 150 million years ago, at a place that now lies in Germany. It investigates the suspicious death of an archaeopteryx, an early species of bird descended from the dinosaurs.In Abbeville’s Dinosaurs series, a talented artist and a noted paleontologist have teamed up to re-create the vanished world of the dinosaurs for young readers. Each volume in the series tells the story, in comic-book form, of a different dinosaur living in its particular geological time and place. The narrative is entertaining, while all the details of the dinosaur’s behavior and its encounters with other species are rendered with scientific accuracy. At the back of each volume, meanwhile, are several short essays, abundantly illustrated with original drawings and photographs of fossils, that explain more about the creatures and geographical settings encountered in the comic.