A Brief History Of Geology

Geology as a science has a fascinating and controversial history. Kieran D. O'Hara's book provides a brief and accessible account of the major events in the history of geology over the last two hundred years, from early theories of Earth structure during the Reformation, through major controversies over the age of the Earth during the Industrial Revolution, to the more recent twentieth-century development of plate tectonic theory, and on to current ideas concerning the Anthropocene. Most chapters include a short 'text box' providing more technical and detailed elaborations on selected topics. The book also includes a history of the geology of the Moon, a topic not normally included in books on the history of geology. The book will appeal to students of Earth science, researchers in geology who wish to learn more about the history of their subject, and general readers interested in the history of science.

For laboratory courses in Historical Geology. This combination textbook and lab manual teaches students the knowledge and skills used by geologists to interpret the earth's ancient environments and reconstruct geologic history. It integrates and incorporates the theoretical models and analysis of empirical data that provides students with a holistic understanding of these challenging tasks.

Geology gives a detailed study of rock-forming minerals and the rocks that are formed by it. The text analyses the forces which act on and within rocks. This subject belongs to physical geology. Historical geology is also covered in the book. This study explores the fossil content of the rock and reconstructs the earth’s history over the past million years. The subjects encourage the reader to go out and examine his surroundings. First chapter of the book focuses on the description of earth. Topics such as the shape, size, and motions of the earth are discussed. The second chapter of the text covers the chemical composition of minerals. Crystal system, crystallography, and crystal habits are included in the chapter. The physical properties and different types of minerals are also analyzed. Volcanism and all aspects of volcanoes are reviewed. The formation of soil and weathering is the topic of another chapter. The book will provide useful information to geologists, mineralogists, volcanologists, students and researchers of geology.

The fossil record; The record of the sedimentary rocks; Precambrian eras; Paleozoic era; North America; World outside North America; Paleozoic life; The mesozoic era; Mesozoic life; Gondwana formations; The cenozoic era; Cenozoic life; Pleistocene epoch; Introduction to animals and plants.