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Books : Science : Earth Sciences : Geology : Historical
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In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, scientists reconstructed the immensely long history of the earth—and the relatively recent arrival of human life. 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?(20080724)
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.
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Some 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95% of all living species died out--a global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs' demise 65 million years ago. How this happened remains a mystery. But there are many competing theories. Some blame huge volcanic eruptions that covered an area as large as the continental United States; others argue for sudden changes in ocean levels and chemistry, including burps of methane gas; and still others cite the impact of an extraterrestrial object, similar to what caused the dinosaurs' extinction.
Extinction is a paleontological mystery story. Here, the world's foremost authority on the subject provides a fascinating overview of the evidence for and against a whole host of hypotheses concerning this cataclysmic event that unfolded at the end of the Permian.
After setting the scene, Erwin introduces the suite of possible perpetrators and the types of evidence paleontologists seek. He then unveils the actual evidence--moving from China, where much of the best evidence is found; to a look at extinction in the oceans; to the extraordinary fossil animals of the Karoo Desert of South Africa. Erwin reviews the evidence for each of the hypotheses before presenting his own view of what happened.
Although full recovery took tens of millions of years, this most massive of mass extinctions was a powerful creative force, setting the stage for the development of the world as we know it today.
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This top-selling historical geology text provides an excellent balance of basic geology and paleontology. THE EARTH THROUGH TIME provides rich, authoritative coverage of the history of the Earth, offering the most comprehensive history of the earth on the market today. It maintains its strong approach to stratigraphy and paleontology that others have lost, while updating new finds in areas of radiometric dating, stratigraphic nomenclature, and renewed ideas in paleontology (e.g., new discoveries of dinosaurs, mass extinctions, and current information found in the literature). The paleogeographic maps are excellent in detail and are a vital component in understanding the earth's history.
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Earth System History shows how Earth's ecosystem has developed over time, and how events in the past can help us deal with present and future changes. Key themes and concepts are examined and a range of examples given, from the extinction of the dinosaurs to drilling off the shore of New Jersey, to demonstrate real - world examples of Earth system history in action. Clear and concise, this introduction to historical geology will be an invaluable guide for students of geology and earth science.
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With exclusive transcripts of round-table discussions, journal excerpts, and personal comments scribbled throughout, and with approximately 1,000 rare and unique photos, So What! is the first official illustrated chronicle to chart Metallica's career since they formed twenty years ago. The book also gives the honest, inside track on some of their darker days, including an insight into singer/guitarist James Hetfield's rehab. Metallica have sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and have proved to be one of the most enduring rock acts of all time. A must have for die-hards and casual fans alike.
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In Earth, the acclaimed author of Trilobite! and Life takes us on a grand tour of the earth’s physical past, showing how the history of plate tectonics is etched in the landscape around us.
Beginning with Mt. Vesuvius, whose eruption in Roman times helped spark the science of geology, and ending in a lab in the West of England where mathematical models and lab experiments replace direct observation, Richard Fortey tells us what the present says about ancient geologic processes. He shows how plate tectonics came to rule the geophysical landscape and how the evidence is written in the hills and in the stones. And in the process, he takes us on a wonderful journey around the globe to visit some of the most fascinating and intriguing spots on the planet.
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HISTORICAL GEOLOGY teaches students basic geologic principles as well as how scientists apply these principles to unravel Earth's history. Wicander and Monroe present a balanced overview of both the geological and biological history of Earth as a continuum of inter-related events. These events reflect the underlying principles and processes that have shaped our planet. The authors also explain the historical development of these basic principles and processes, and their importance in deciphering Earth history. Three major themes – time, evolutionary theory, and plate tectonics – are woven together throughout the book. These themes help students link essential material to enhance their understanding of historical geology.
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Geology is an extremely visual subject, and In Search of Ancient Oregon is a beautifully photographed, expertly written account of Oregon's fascinating geological story. Written by a passionate and professional geologist who has spent countless hours in the field exploring and photographing the state, In Search of Ancient Oregon is a book for all those interested in Oregon's landscapes and environments. It presents fine-art-quality color photographs of well-known features such as Mount Hood, Crater Lake, Smith Rock, Steens Mountain, the Columbia River Gorge, and Cannon Beach, and scenic, not so well known places such as Jordan Craters, Leslie Gulch, Abert Rim, Hells Canyon, Elkhorn Mountains, and Three Fingered Jack. Each of the more than 220 stunning photographs is accompanied by readable text, presenting the story of how Oregon's diverse landscapes evolved --- and what we may expect in the future. Until now, no book has presented this dynamic story in a way that everyone interested in Oregon's natural history can easily understand. The combination of extraordinary photographs and the author's lucid explanations make this book both unique and essential for those curious about our own contemporary landscape.
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Explains how the cataclysmic-collision theory of dinosaur extinction came about and the scientific melee that ensued.
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A concise treatment of the fundamental principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy, featuring the important physical, chemical, biological and stratigraphic characteristics of sedimentary rocks. Emphasized are the ways in which the study of sedimentary rocks is used to interpret depositional environments, changes in ancient sea level, and other intriguing aspects of Earth history. Topics include the origin and transport of sedimentary materials; physical properties of sedimentary rocks; composition, classification and diagenesis of sedimentary rocks and principles of stratigraphy and basin analysis. For individuals interested in one text providing comprehensive coverage of both sedimentology and stratigraphy.
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From the tightly folded formations in the Appalachians across the broad reaches of horizontal sedimentary layers in the Allegheny Plateau, Pennsylvania's rocks record hundreds of millions of years of geologic history that tell an astounding storyThis book enables the reader to recognize the rocks and understand their meaning. It explains the landscapes of Pennsylvania in terms anyone can understand and enjoy.
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The formation of the Grand Coulee remained a mystery for many years, until J Harlen Bretz proved that the Columbia River basin was the site of huge floods 15,000 years ago that created the landscape we see today.
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Rarely has a scholar attained such popular acclaim merely by doing what he does best and enjoys most. But such is Stephen Jay Gould's command of paleontology and evolutionary theory, and his gift for brilliant explication, that he has brought dust and dead bones to life, and developed an immense following for the seeming arcana of this field.
In Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle his subject is nothing less than geology's signal contribution to human thought--the discovery of "deep time," the vastness of earth's history, a history so ancient that we can comprehend it only as metaphor. He follows a single thread through three documents that mark the transition in our thinking from thousands to billions of years: Thomas Burnet's four-volume Sacred Theory of the Earth (1680-1690), James Hutton's Theory of the Earth (1795), and Charles Lyell's three-volume Principles of Geology (1830-1833).
Gould's major theme is the role of metaphor in the formulation and testing of scientific theories--in this case the insight provided by the oldest traditional dichotomy of Judeo-Christian thought: the directionality of time's arrow or the immanence of time's cycle. Gould follows these metaphors through these three great documents and shows how their influence, more than the empirical observation of rocks in the field, provoked the supposed discovery of deep time by Hutton and Lyell. Gould breaks through the traditional "cardboard" history of geological textbooks (the progressive march to truth inspired by more and better observations) by showing that Burnet, the villain of conventional accounts, was a rationalist (not a theologically driven miracle-monger) whose rich reconstruction of earth history emphasized the need for both time's arrow (narrative history) and time's cycle (immanent laws), while Hutton and Lyell, our traditional heroes, denied the richness of history by their exclusive focus upon time's Arrow.
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Glorious panoramic photography reveals the physical legacy of Earth's past and provides a clear and original perspective on Earth as a dynamic planet. In a compelling narrative, Origins places the history of our planet in a contemporary context in which humans, like all living things, must embrace change or die.
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"Arguably the best work to date in the history of geology."—David R. Oldroyd, Science
"After a superficial first glance, most readers of good will and broad knowledge might dismiss [this book] as being too much about too little. They would be making one of the biggest mistakes in their intellectual lives. . . . [It] could become one of our century's key documents in understanding science and its history."—Stephen Jay Gould, New York Review of Books
"Surely one of the most important studies in the history of science of recent years, and arguably the best work to date in the history of geology."—David R. Oldroyd, Science
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The reconstruction of past climate change is dependent upon the application of reliable dating techniques and an understanding of the context of these methods. The study of quaternary environments must draw from a range of disciplines. This study focuses on changes in the Earth's geology and climate between the last interglacial period and the final melting of the last great ice sheets, some 130,000 to 7000 years ago. The author describes the study of ocean sediments and ice cores and the value of these findings to the development of advance circulation models. Emphasis is placed on regional variability in glacial history, the rapidity of past climate change and the complexity of environmental responses to widespread deglaciation. Periglacial environments - as well as rivers, mires, volcanic and aeolian activity, crustal and sea-level movement - are also considered. The author closes with a contextual discussion of Milankovitch insolation theory.
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Accessible to scientist and general reader alike, this definitive history and synthesis serves as a complete source of information for all of the methods, ancient and modern, used to derive the age of the earth.
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