Synopses & Reviews
The primary purpose of this text is to provide introductory geology students - who have had little or no science background - with a better understanding and appreciation of geology. Thompson and Turk's MODERN PHYSICAL GEOLOGY, Second Edition, stands out through its early coverage of plate tectonics (Chapter 2), the inclusion of special topic areas, and its beautiful design and writing style. It offers a complete overview of all topics in physical geology, including the most recent developments and research in areas of climate change and environmental issues.
About the Author
Gray Thompson is Professor of Geology at The University of Montana where he teaches Introductory Geology, Mineralogy, Summer Field Mapping, and graduate courses in Clay Mineralogy and Shale Petrology. He has published over 20 research papers in international journals, mostly co-authored with his students. He is also a mountaineer and professional guide with first ascents, many with Jon Turk, of peaks and routes in the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, the Yukon, Baffin Island, the Alps, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. He has authored many articles published in international climbing magazines and journals, and has been the subject of other articles in these publications. Many of the photographs in his texts were taken by Thompson and Turk on their climbing trips and expeditions over the last eighteen years. Jon Turk is a chemist, professional geoscience writer, and adventurer. He received his PhD in 1971, and later that year he co-authored the first environmental science college textbook in the country. In the 32 years since then, Turk has continued his career as a science writer, publishing 23 environmental and geoscience texts. His love of unspoiled environments and fascination for the wild places of this planet have also led to a distinguished career as an adventurer. He has kayaked around Cape Horn as well as the 3,000 miles between Japan and Alaska, crossed the western Gobi of Mongolia, unsupported, on a mountain bike, and was the first to ascend Lamo-she Peak (6,070 meters) in the eastern Himalayas with co-author Gray Thompson. He has written numerous magazine articles about his expeditions as well as adventure/travel books, including In the Wake of the Jomon: Stone Age Mariners and a Voyage Across the Pacific (McGraw Hill, 2005).
Table of Contents
Unit I: The Earth: Its Origin, Internal Processes, and Minerals. 1. Geology and the Earth. 2. Plate Tectonics: A First Look. 3. Minerals. Unit II: Rocks. 4. Igneous Rocks. 5. Plutons and Volcanoes. 6. Weathering and Soil. 7. Sedimentary Rocks. 8. Metamorphic Rocks. 9. Geologic Time: A Story in the Rocks. Unit III: An Active Earth. 10. Earthquakes and the Earths Structure. 11. Ocean Basins. 12. Geologic Structures, Mountain Ranges, and Continents. Unit IV: Surface Processes. 13. Mass Wasting. 14. Fresh Water: Streams and Lakes. 15. Fresh Water: Ground Water and Wetlands. 16. Deserts. 17. Glaciers and Ice Ages. 18. Coastlines. Unit V: Special Topics in Geology. 19. Geologic Resources. 20. Geology and Climate Change. 21. The Geological Evolution of North America. 22. Planets and Their Moons.