Geology is the study of the earth's history as well as the physical and chemical processes that continue to shape the earth today. Geology For Dummies is the most accessible book on the market for anyone who needs to get a handle on the subject, whether you're looking to supplement classroom learning or are simply interested in earth sciences. Presented in a straightforward, trusted format, it features a thorough introduction to the study of the earth, its materials, and its processes. It tracks a typical college-level introductory geology course, and covers geological processes; rock records and geologic times; matter, minerals, and rock; and more. Geology For Dummies is an excellent classroom supplement for all students who enroll in introductory geology courses, from geology majors to those who choose earth science courses as electives.
Part I: Studying the Earth
Chapter 1: Rocks for Jocks (and Everybody Else)
Chapter 2: Observing Earth through a Scientifi c Lens
Chapter 3: From Here to Eternity: The Past, Present, and Future of Geologic Thought
Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home: Planet Earth
Part II: Elements, Minerals, and Rocks
Chapter 5: It's Elemental, My Dear: A Very Basic Chemistry of Elements and Compounds
Chapter 6: Minerals: The Building Blocks of Rocks
Chapter 7: Recognizing Rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Types
Part III: One Theory to Explain It All: Plate Tectonics
Chapter 8: Adding Up the Evidence for Plate Tectonics
Chapter 9: When Crustal Plates Meet, It's All Relative
Chapter 10: Who's Driving This Thing? Mantle Convection and Plate Movement
Part IV: Superficially Speaking: About Surface Processes
Chapter 11: Gravity Takes Its Toll: Mass Wasting
Chapter 12: Water: Above and Below Ground
Chapter 13: Flowing Slowly toward the Sea: Glaciers
Chapter 14: Blowing in the Wind: Moving Sediments without Water
Chapter 15: Catch a Wave: The Evolution of Shorelines
Part V: Long, Long Ago in This Galaxy Right Here
Chapter 16: Getting a Grip on Geologic Time
Chapter 17: A Record of Life in the Rocks
Chapter 18: Time before Time Began: The Precambrian
Chapter 19: Teeming with Life: The Paleozoic Era
Chapter 20: It Should Have Been Called Mesozoic Park: When Dinosaurs Dominated
Chapter 21: The Cenozoic Era: Mammals Take Over
Chapter 22: And Then There Were None: Major Extinction Events in Earth's History
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 23: Ten (Plus) Ways Humans Act as Geologic Agents
Chapter 24: Ten Geologic Hazards
Index
Alecia M. Spooner has been teaching various Earth and Environmental Sciences for seven years. She has earned degrees in Anthropology (B.A., University of Mississippi), Archaeology (M.A., Washington State University), and Geology (M.S., University of Washington). Her research includes interdisciplinary studies of paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and archaeology. Currently she teaches at Everett Community College and enjoys developing active-learning science curricula.