Rock Formations and Unusual Geologic Structures: Exploring the Earth's Surface (The Living Earth)

✍ Scribed by Jon Erickson

• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 337
• Edition: Revised
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Clearly written and illustrated, this book will appeal to those who are searching for the latest in the study of Earth's more unusual topographical formations and the processes that shape them. The volume explores erosional effects and features, dating methods for specific geologic structures, fossil formation and fossil beds, plate tectonics, volcanic and geologic activities, and more. Coverage includes: - The Earth's Crust - Erosion and Sedimentation - Faults - Glacial Terrain - Caves and Caverns - Canyons, Valleys and Basins

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 6
TABLES......Page 10
TABLE 1 COMMON IGNEOUS ROCKS......Page 34
TABLE 2 CLASSIFICATION OF THE EARTH’S CRUST......Page 37
TABLE 3 COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH’S CRUST......Page 38
FAUNAL SUCCESSION......Page 69
TABLE 5 THE GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE......Page 71
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS......Page 80
TABLE 7 SUMMARY OF EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS......Page 111
TABLE 8 COMPARISON BETWEEN TYPES OF VOLCANISM......Page 115
TABLE 9 THE TEN MOST WANTED LIST OF VOLCANOES......Page 120
VOLCANIC ROCK......Page 129
RIVER VALLEYS......Page 151
TABLE 12 MAJOR DESERTS......Page 169
TABLE 13 THE MAJOR ICE AGES......Page 194
TABLE 14 Summary of Soil Types......Page 231
ASTEROIDS AND COMETS......Page 258
TABLE 16 CLOSEST CALLS WITH EARTH......Page 260
TABLE 17 LOCATION OF MAJOR METEORITE CRATERS
OR IMPACT STRUCTURES......Page 263
METEORITE IMPACTS......Page 264
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 12
Foreword......Page 14
INTRODUCTION......Page 16
1 THE EARTH’S CRUST THE FORMATION OF CONTINENTS......Page 18
PRECAMBRIAN SHIELDS......Page 19
CRATONS......Page 24
TERRANES......Page 29
CRYSTALLINE ROCK......Page 32
CONTINENTAL CRUST......Page 35
OCEANIC CRUST......Page 39
2
EROSION AND
SEDIMENTATION THE BUILDING OF LANDFORMS......Page 42
EFFECTS OF EROSION......Page 43
DRAINAGE PATTERNS......Page 45
EROSIONAL FEATURES......Page 49
SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES......Page 51
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS......Page 53
SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES......Page 61
3 TYPE SECTIONS DEFINING ROCK FORMATIONS......Page 64
GEOLOGIC TIME......Page 65
AGE OF THE EARTH......Page 67
RELATIVE TIME......Page 73
ROCK CORRELATION......Page 74
DATING ROCKS......Page 76
GEOLOGIC MAPPING......Page 84
4 FOLDING AND FAULTING THE SHAPING OF THE LAND......Page 89
TECTONISM......Page 90
MOUNTAIN BUILDING......Page 93
FOLDED STRATA......Page 95
FAULT TYPES......Page 97
HORSTS AND GRABENS......Page 100
FAULT BELTS......Page 102
EARTHQUAKE FAULTS......Page 104
EARTHQUAKES......Page 109
MOLTEN MAGMA......Page 113
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS......Page 118
RIFT VOLCANOES......Page 124
CALDERAS......Page 125
GRANITIC INTRUSIVES......Page 133
KIMBERLITE PIPES......Page 134
IGNEOUS ORE BODIES......Page 136
TERRESTRIAL CANYONS......Page 139
SUBMARINE CANYONS......Page 143
CONTINENTAL RIFTS......Page 144
OCEANIC RIFTS......Page 145
DEEP-SEA TRENCHES......Page 150
DESICCATED BASINS......Page 154
THE GREAT BASIN......Page 157
7 DESERTS AND SEACOASTS WINDBLOWN AND BEACH SANDS......Page 161
DESERT FEATURES......Page 162
WIND EROSION......Page 167
SAND DUNES......Page 172
BEACH SANDS......Page 174
SEA CLIFFS......Page 175
COASTAL STRUCTURES......Page 179
CORAL REEFS......Page 181
THE ICE CAPS......Page 184
GLACIAL EROSION......Page 188
GLACIAL DEPOSITS......Page 193
GLACIAL VALLEYS......Page 199
GLACIAL LAKES......Page 201
SURGE GLACIERS......Page 204
PATTERNED GROUND......Page 206
CAVE FORMATION......Page 208
KARST TERRAIN......Page 211
NATURAL BRIDGES......Page 214
LIMESTONE CAVES......Page 216
LAVA CAVES......Page 219
ICE CAVES......Page 220
CAVE DEPOSITS......Page 223
CAVE ART......Page 226
10 COLLAPSED STRUCTURES CATASTROPHIC GROUND FAILURES......Page 229
LANDSLIDES......Page 230
LIQUEFACTION......Page 241
MASS WASTING......Page 246
SUBSIDENCE......Page 250
CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE......Page 252
11 METEORITE IMPACT CRATERS ASTEROID AND COMET COLLISIONS......Page 255
THE ASTEROID BELT......Page 256
CRATERING RATES......Page 261
CRATER FORMATION......Page 268
IMPACT STRUCTURES......Page 270
METEORITES......Page 273
STREWN FIELDS......Page 275
ROCK MONUMENTS......Page 279
PILLARS OF STONE......Page 285
BLOWOUTS......Page 288
POTHOLES......Page 289
SOD PITS......Page 291
FUMAROLES AND GEYSERS......Page 292
CRATER LAKES......Page 296
LAVA LAKES......Page 298
CONCLUSION......Page 301
GLOSSARY......Page 302
THE EARTH’S CRUST......Page 315
TYPE SECTIONS......Page 316
FOLDING AND FAULTING......Page 317
CANYONS, VALLEYS, AND BASINS......Page 318
DESERTS AND SEACOASTS......Page 319
CAVES AND CAVERNS......Page 320
COLLAPSED STRUCTURES......Page 321
UNUSUAL FORMATIONS......Page 322
Index......Page 324