The goal throughout is for readers to be able to apply the techniques--and enjoy the insights of the results--rather than tinker with theory and develop everything from first principles. A survey of actual occurrences of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and processes that produce them, is provided. This section is often greatly condensed in most other books, but it is the most interesting and dynamic aspect of petrology.KEY TOPICS: Some Fundamental Concepts; Classification and Nomenclature of Igneous Rocks; Textures of Igneous Rocks; Igneous Structures and Field Relationships; An Introduction to Thermodynamics; The Phase Rule and One- and Two-Component Systems; Systems with More than Two Components; Chemical Petrology I: Major and Minor Elements; Chemical Petrology II: Trace Elements and Isotopes; Generation of Basaltic Magmas; Magma Diversity; Layered Mafic Intrusions; Mid-Ocean Ridge Volcanism; Oceanic Intraplate Volcanism; Continental Flood Basalts; Subduction-Related Igneous Activity Part I: Island Arcs; Subduction-Related Igneous Activity Part II: Continental Arcs; Granitoid Rocks; Continental Alkaline Magmatism; Anorthosites; An Introduction to Metamorphism; A Classification of Metamorphic Rocks; Structures and Textures of Metamorphic Rocks; Stable Mineral Assemblages in Metamorphic Rocks; Metamorphic Facies and Metamorphosed Mafic Rocks; Metamorphic Reactions; Thermodynamics of Metamorphic Reactions; Metamorphism of Pelitic Sediments; Metamorphism of Calcareous and Ultramafic Rocks; Metamorphic Fluids, Mass Transport and Metasomatism; Units and Constants; Abbreviations and Acronyms; The CIPW Norm.MARKET: A useful reference for anyone who wants to learn more about petrology.

    In this thrill-ride across millennia and continents, the complete history of the planet comes to life: from the Earth's fiery birth to its near-obliteration in the Triassic period, and from the first signs of human life to the tentative future of a world with a burgeoning population and a global warming crisis. Covering a wide range of topics including astrophysics, zoology, and sociology, and complete with maps and illustrations, What on Earth Happened? In Brief is the endlessly entertaining story of the planet, life, and people.

    This lavishly illustrated book is the official publication for these historic events.This year also marks two other important milestones: the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of his birth.In 2007, growing pressure on the natural habitat prompted UNESCO to put Galapagos on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Galapagos includes insightful essays and fascinating stories by 30 of the world's leading Galapagos researchers, who describe the challenges and successes of conservation efforts, past and present. Tui de Roy's images vividly show the seemingly alien beauty of the Galapagos landscape and wildlife.This handsome book is an important resource for naturalists, botanists, photographers, researchers, students and all who want a permanent record of Darwin's spectacular discovery.The 28 chapters include:Islands on the Move: Significance of Hotspot Volcanoes Paleoclimate and the Future: A Knife-edge Balance Biodiversity Analysis: How Close to the Brink? Sunflower Trees and Giant Cacti: Vegetation Changes Over Time Inshore Fishes: The Case of the Missing Damsel Shark Migrations: Discovering the Golden Triangle Marine Iguanas: Their Boom and Bust Adaptations Darwin's Finches: Investigating Evolution in Action The Waved Albatross: The Family Affairs of a Critically Endangered Species Penguins on the Equator: Hanging on by a Thread Sea Lions and Fur Seals: Cold Water Species on the Equator Reign on the Giant Tortoises: Repopulating Ancestral Islands Saving "Lost" Plants: Finding and Nurturing the Survivors Reflections on Dangers and Solutions: "Noe Reall Islands," But Paradise

    This large-format book brings together a spectacular collection of Bernhard Edmaier's aerial photographs of volcanoes both active and dormant around the world. As well as sensational pyrotechnics, Earth on Fire features beautiful photographs that reveal how volcanic activity shapes the landscape of our planet, and  informative, accessible texts explaining the formations and phenomena shown in the photographs.

    With an informal Q-and-A format and fun, informative language, this book brings the often-esoteric science of geology into the hands of rock climbers.

    The book also provides a geologic overview of the state, from ocean beaches to the high desert, from the Blue Mountains to the Siskiyous. Unique among fossil field guides, Oregon Fossils includes both specimen identification and interesting notes about their discovery, naming, and conservation. The narrative is sprinkled with biographical sketches of paleontologists who have contributed to the state’s fossil record, and the text is richly illustrated with photographs, line drawings, charts, and maps. A complete bibliography lists full citations to fossil material. The only single volume that provides Oregon’s fossil record and history, Oregon Fossils is well-written, well-organized guide. It is an excellent reference for classroom and library use, for researchers, and for private collectors and hobbyists.

    Released August 2009, awarded the Children's Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Book of the Year award in August 2010. In 2011, it was named as one of the 250 White Ravens books for 2011, selected from around the world as "annual recommendation list of outstanding international books for children and young adults" by the Internationale Jugendbibliothek München (International Youth Library). See the full list at http://www.ijb.de/files/Page00.htm or http://www.ijb.de/files/whiteravens/w... and follow the links (Source is the author)

    They are kept as signs of prestige or power. Given as tokens of love and affection, they also come in a kaleidoscopic array of hues and can be either mineral or organic. Gems can command a person’s gaze in the way they play with light and express rich color. And they can evoke feelings of passion, greed, mystery, and warmth. For millennia, gems have played an important role in human culture: they have significant value, both financially and within folklore and mythology. But just what are gems, exactly? This lavishly illustrated volume—the most ambitious publication of its kind—provides a general introduction to gems and natural gemstones, conveying their timeless beauty and exploring similarities among different species and varieties. Gems and Gemstones features nearly 300 color images of the cut gems, precious and semiprecious stones, gem-quality mineral specimens, and fine jewelry to be unveiled in a new Grainger Hall of Gems at The Field Museum in Chicago this October. The book and exhibition’s overarching theme will be the relationship between finished gems and their natural origin: while beautiful as faceted and polished pieces of jewelry, gems are often just as lovely—or even more so—as gemstones in their natural state. For example, an aquamarine or emerald as originally found in a mine with its natural crystal faces can be as stunning as any cut and polished gem prepared for a ring, bracelet, or charm. Thoughtful of both ancient and modern times, Gems and Gemstones also includes fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden the historical portrait of each specimen. When Harry Winston, for instance, donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958, he sent it through the U.S. mail wrapped in plain brown paper. And for anyone who has ever marveled at the innovations of top jewelry designers, Gems and Gemstones features a dazzling array of polished stones, gold objects, and creations from around the world. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, amethysts, pearls, topaz, amber—every major gem gets its due in what will be an invaluable source on the subject for years to come. Gems and Gemstones is the basis for the iPad app, available in the Apple iTunes App Store, Gems and Jewels.

    For over a century, it was safeguarded within the 89,000-acre Baca Ranch. In the year 2000, Congress passed the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, creating the Valles Caldera Trust to purchase the ranch and create a nine-member board of trustees responsible for the protection and development of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.With special permission, qualified geologists interested in volcanic processes and hydrothermal systems have been allowed to conduct research on the preserve. One of those volcanologists, Fraser Goff, collaborated with the Valles Caldera Trust to provide an accessible scientific overview of the caldera's geologic wonders.Presented in two parts, Valles Caldera first offers a summary of significant geologic events that have taken place in the Valles Caldera area. Then Goff presents the geology, volcanology, and geothermal characteristics of the Caldera and the Jemez volcanic field. Geologic terms and names unfamiliar to all but professional geologists are defined in a summarizing glossary.

    The processes of formation, transport and deposition of sediment are considered and then applied to develop conceptual models for the full range of sedimentary environments, from deserts to deep seas and reefs to rivers. Different approaches to using stratigraphic principles to date and correlate strata are also considered, in order to provide a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of sedimentology and stratigraphy. The text and figures are designed to be accessible to anyone completely new to the subject, and all of the illustrative material is provided in an accompanying CD-ROM. High-resolution versions of these images can also be downloaded from the companion website for this book at: www.wiley.com/go/nicholssedimentology.

    In delightful full-color photographs, the simple pleasures of the backyard come to life and reveal the ways in which young children engage with their surroundings with an unmatched curiosity and openness. Each page is simple—yet dramatic—in design and detail, and is complimented by clear and engaging text.Stones can be rocky roads for toy trucks.  Stones can be used for hiding behind!  EyeLike Nature: Stones, a board book for the youngest of readers, portrays nature through the eyes of a toddler.  Beautiful, familiar photographs and simple text emphasize the way nature can spark the imaginations of all children.

    The book thus serves, uniquely, both as a conventional course text and as a practical laboratory manual. Following an introduction reviewing igneous nomenclature, each chapter addresses a specific compositional category of magmatic rocks, covering definition, mineralogy, eruption/ emplacement processes, textures and crystallization processes, geotectonic distribution, geochemistry, and aspects of magma genesis. One chapter is devoted to phase equilibrium experiments and magma evolution; another introduces pyroclastic volcanology. Each chapter concludes with exercises, with the answers being provided at the end of the book.Appendices provide a summary of techniques and optical data for microscope mineral identification, an introduction to petrographic calculations, a glossary of petrological terms, and a list of symbols and units. The book is richly illustrated with line drawings, monochrome pictures and colour plates.Additional resources for this book can be found at: http: //www.wiley.com/go/gill/igneous.

    Lakes are a beloved part of the American landscape, and kettles are the most common type, spanning the northern part of the country from New England to the High Plains. Kettle lakes are depressions formed by meltdown of glacial ice and filled with freshwater. Unlike other kinds of lakes that have significant inlet or outlet streams, kettle lakes are natural wells tapping the groundwater table.A source of joyful relaxation and recreation for generations, kettle lakes also have historical and cultural significance. Within a few years of the 1836 publication of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature, a pivotal book combining nature with spirituality and religion, H enry David Thoreau had permanently linked Walden Pond—America's most famous kettle lake—to the Transcendentalist movement.Each kettle lake tells a story, and in Robert Thorson's hands their collective saga—and the threats to their health—give us crucial insight into the dangers facing our vulnerable freshwater ecosystem.

    Exquisitely illustrated, the text introduces the basic science underlying both the natural progress of climate change and the effect of human activity on the deteriorating health of our planet. Noted expert and author Edmond A. Mathez synthesizes the work of leading scholars in climatology and related fields, and he concludes with an extensive chapter on energy production, anchoring this volume in economic and technological realities and suggesting ways to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.Climate Change opens with the climate system fundamentals: the workings of the atmosphere and ocean, their chemical interactions via the carbon cycle, and the scientific framework for understanding climate change. Mathez then brings the climate of the past to bear on our present predicament, highlighting the importance of paleoclimatology in understanding the current climate system. Subsequent chapters explore the changes already occurring around us and their implications for the future. In a special feature, Jason E. Smerdon, associate research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, provides an innovative appendix for students.

    It looks at what the mountains are made of and how they got there from the perspective of a climber or hillwalker

    Survivors were only a few feet away from death. Of one family of six, four died. For terrified hours, temporal human life interfaced with natural forces millennia in the making. It was the largest earthquake ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains. Earth scientists differed then and now about how to interpret the quake and its relation to volatile Yellowstone volcanic potential and hydrothermal explosiveness nearby. It is a story of earth-building unfolded before usits wonders as well as its terrors.

    This stunning portfolio of photographs by Susan M Neider is uniquely organized by geographic region, so it's easy to find specific geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. Fascinating historical descriptions by early explorers of the geyser basins--including General H.D. Washburn, F.V. Hayden, and famed conservationist John Muir--accompany these vibrant images and emphasize the timeless beauty and wonder of Yellowstone.