"The 50 years since the publication of 'Fabric of Geology,' edited by C.C. Albritton Jr., have seen immense changes in both geology and philosophy of science. 'Rethinking the Fabric of Geology' explores a number of philosophical issues in geology, ranging from its nature as a historical science to implications for geological education"--Provided by publisher.
Claude C. Albritton's fascinating book explores the history and science of geology, from the earliest understandings of the earth's composition to modern theories of plate tectonics and seismic activity. With engaging writing and useful diagrams, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the field of geology or the history of science. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
'Engineering geology' is one of those terms that invite definition. The American Geological Institute, for example, has expanded the term to mean 'the application of the geological sciences to engineering practice for the purpose of assuring that the geological factors affecting the location, design, construction, operation and mainten ance of engineering works are recognized and adequately provided for'. It has also been defined by W. R. Judd in the McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology as 'the application of education and experience in geology and other geosciences to solve geological problems posed by civil engineering structures'. Judd goes on to specify those branches of the geological or geo-sciences as surface (or surficial) geology, structural/fabric geology, geohydro logy, geophysics, soil and rock mechanics. Soil mechanics is firmly included as a geological science in spite of the perhaps rather unfortunate trends over the years (now happily being reversed) towards purely mechanistic analyses which may well provide acceptable solutions for only the simplest geology. Many subjects evolve through their subject areas from an interdisciplinary background and it is just such instances that pose the greatest difficulties of definition. Since the form of educational development experienced by the practitioners of the subject ulti mately bears quite strongly upon the corporate concept of the term 'engineering geology', it is useful briefly to consider that educational background.
In May 1976 Lucian B. Platt organized a highly successful Penrose Confer ence on The Formation of Rock Cleavage at Bryn Mawr College in Penn sylvania, U. S. A. The meeting drew together about 70 specialists from both sides of the Atlantic and from Australasia, who contributed discussions on various aspects of rock cleavage and its formation. Even early in the meet ing it became clear to the participants that they lacked a common terminol ogy, that often the same technical word implied different things to different people and that observables and descriptors were loosely defined. In an at tempt to improve communication the present editors contacted about 190 workers after the conference with a view to compiling a set of photographs with captions to illustrate exactly what workers were talking about. As a re sult the compilation was published as a limited edition by an inexpensive offset process at the University of Tasmania. The success of that provisional edition of the Atlas of Rock Cleavage and the responses of the readers prompted us to make a more extensive collection of material, contact a wider range of workers and, with the support of Dr. Konrad Springer, to publish the present higher-quality reproduction of the contributors' plates.
From humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. Why did this historic city become so much more influential than its neighbor, nearby Latium, which was peopled by more or less the same stock? Over the years, historians, political analysts, and sociologists have discussed this question ad infinitum, without considering one underlying factor that led to the rise of Rome--the geology now hidden by the modern city. This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting in a lively, fact-filled narrative sure to interest geology and history buffs and travelers alike. The authors point out that Rome possessed many geographic advantages over surrounding areas: proximity to a major river with access to the sea, plateaus for protection, nearby sources of building materials, and most significantly, clean drinking water from springs in the Apennines. Even the resiliency of Rome's architecture and the stability of life on its hills are underscored by the city's geologic framework. If carried along with a good city map, this book will expand the understanding of travelers who explore the eternal city's streets. Chapters are arranged geographically, based on each of the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and ridges that rise above the right bank. As an added bonus, the last chapter consists of three field trips around the center of Rome, which can be enjoyed on foot or by using public transportation.
