It’s easy to think of Earth as one big rock beneath our feet. The reality is far more interesting! In this volume, young geologists will learn more about the makeup of our planet and the massive sheets of rock that move over its surface. Illustrations, photos, and intriguing hands-on projects will help them understand how Earth’s tectonic plates lead to features such as mountains and ocean trenches, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Fossils are fascinating! These remnants of life-forms from long ago tell us more about the planet, the environment, and the ancient plants and animals themselves. This title guides readers on a mission to learn more about fossils, how they form, what types there are, and more facts and details. Full-color illustrations showcase important principles, and hands-on activities with detailed instructions will get kids thinking like paleontologists, geologists, and other scientists.
Palaeomagnetism, plates, hot spots, trenches and ridges are the subject of this unusual book. Plate Tectonics is a book of exercises and background information that introduces and demonstrates the basics of the subject. In a lively and lucid manner, it brings together a great deal of material in spherical trigonometry that is necessary to understand plate tectonics and the research literature written about it. It is intended for use in first year graduate courses in geophysics and tectonics, and provides a guide to the quantitative understanding of plate tectonics.
What’s under your feet as you walk outside? There’s more than just grass and dirt under there! Young readers will learn more about Earth’s layers, from the rocky crust to the dense inner core, in this intriguing book. Color illustrations and photographs, as well as many hands-on activities and projects, provide additional context to ideas such as plate tectonics, early continents, and other topics related to the elementary science curriculum.
Plate tectonics is a revolutionary theory on a par with modern genetics. Yet, apart from the frequent use of clichés such as 'tectonic shift' by economists, journalists, and politicians, the science itself is rarely mentioned and poorly understood. This book explains modern plate tectonics in a non-technical manner, showing not only how it accounts for phenomena such as great earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, but also how it controls conditions at the Earth's surface, including global geography and climate. The book presents the advances that have been made since the establishment of plate tectonics in the 1960s, highlighting, on the 50th anniversary of the theory, the contributions of a small number of scientists who have never been widely recognized for their discoveries. Beginning with the publication of a short article in Nature by Vine and Matthews, the book traces the development of plate tectonics through two generations of the theory. First generation plate tectonics covers the exciting scientific revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, its heroes and its villains. The second generation includes the rapid expansions in sonar, satellite, and seismic technologies during the 1980s and 1990s that provided a truly global view of the plates and their motions, and an appreciation of the role of the plates within the Earth 'system'. The final chapter bring us to the cutting edge of the science, and the latest results from studies using technologies such as seismic tomography and high-pressure mineral physics to probe the deep interior. Ultimately, the book leads to the startling conclusion that, without plate tectonics, the Earth would be as lifeless as Venus.
Rocks and minerals are the building blocks of our world, but there’s a huge and fascinating variety of these materials, from the roundest gray pond rock to the most brilliant and sparkly diamond. Readers will learn about all manner of rocks and minerals, as well as their properties, types, and uses. Color photos and diagrams allow curious geologists in training to study rocks and minerals in detail, while hands-on activities and projects will encourage them think for themselves about important principles.
It’s easy to think of Earth as one big rock beneath our feet. The reality is far more interesting! In this volume, young geologists will learn more about the makeup of our planet and the massive sheets of rock that move over its surface. Illustrations, photos, and intriguing hands-on projects will help them understand how Earth’s tectonic plates lead to features such as mountains and ocean trenches, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Dirt’s not all that interesting—or is it? In truth, Earth’s soil is one of the major reasons life on the planet can exist! In this book, readers will learn that there’s far more to dirt and soil than the stuff you get on your sneakers or sweep off your front steps. Illustrations will show more about soil’s origins and makeup, as well as the nutrients it provides for growing things. Projects and activities allow young geologists to put what they’re learning into practice and get their hands dirty as they investigate the world beneath our feet.
The natural forces of our world are always at work on the planet we call home. Over millions of years, the forces of erosion have worked through wind, water, sand, and more to create the many features of Earth, from the worn-away banks of the smallest creek to the stunning landmark that is the Grand Canyon. This title will take readers on a journey through Earth's long history of erosion, using color illustrations and intriguing hands-on projects to show them just how interesting this geologic force really is.
A Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze is a rip-roaring adventure traveling the rock cycle, cruising through time, and landing home in time for dinner! This incredible story introduces changes through the Earth's history, three types of rocks, and more! Watch out for asteroids and volcanoes along the way!
