In Chapter 4 you looked at plate tectonics and its influence on the climate and habitability of the Earth. In this chapter you will look at a specific aspect of this relationship, namely mountain building. Mountain ranges attract their own microclimates, which tend to be cooler and often wetter than the lowland areas that surround them.

It may strike you as odd that temperatures drop as altitudes increase; after all, the higher the altitude, the closer the Earth’s surface is to the Sun. This is primarily because direct solar radiation causes very little heating of the air; most heating is due to radiation reflected back from the Earth’s surface. Furthermore, air forced to rise by the presence of a mountain will expand and cool in response to the decreasing atmospheric pressure. Eventually, any water vapour in the air will condense. forming clouds and precipitation, which at high altitudes may fall as snow. Even at low latitudes, high mountains may be capped with snow or ice (Figure 5.1). <...>

Three decades ago, the first edition of Physical Geology by Plummer and McGeary was published. Twenty years later, Diane Carlson became a coauthor as David McGeary phased into retirement. Now, after ten more years, Lisa Hammersley joins the team for this, the 13th edition. As you may see from the brief biography at the end of this preface, Dr. Hammersley expands the diversity and expertise of the team of authors. The three authors were born and raised in Mexico (Plummer), northern Wisconsin (Carlson) and England (Hammersley). They have worked in geology in Alaska, Antarctica, Washington Cascades mountains, northeastern Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, on Ice Island T-3 in the Arctic Ocean, Mexico, the Andes (Peru and Ecuador), and California’s Sierra Nevada. <...>

Craters on the Earth are traces on the path our planet has followed to come to existence from the early nebula which was filling this corner of the galaxy.
Millions of cataclysmic events were necessary about five billions of years ago to form the Earth. We do not have evidences of this part of the Earth history on the surface. However, impacts continued through the Ages and traces of the most recent craters are present over the surface of the Earth. Documenting them through satellite observations provides important information on the genesis of our planet through a very valuable, systematic observational approach.

Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology is produced under the auspices of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). For decades it has been the most widely adopted manual available for teaching laboratories in introductory geology and geoscience. This 11th edition is more user-friendly than ever, with an effective pedagogical format and many more teaching and learning options.

The term geophysical refers to the workings of the earth. This includes movements on the earth’s surface (crust) as well as beneath the surface. These movements can be hazardous for humans such as when earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur in the earth’s  lithosphere. This is the solid zone of rock on the earth, including the crust and the upper part of the mantle, that extends downwards from the earth’s surface to a depth of about 70 kilometres.

Encyclopedia of Earth and Space Science is a twovolume reference intended to complement the material typically taught in high school Earth science and astronomy classes, and in introductory college geology, atmospheric sciences, and astrophysics courses. The substance reflects the fundamental concepts and principles that underlie the content standards for Earth and space science identified by the National Committee on science Education standards and Assessment of the National Research Council for grades 9–12.

The Moon held little interest for most scientists after its basic astronomic properties had been determined and before direct exploration appeared likely (Wright and others, 1963; Baldwin, 1978). Speculations about its internal structure, composition, and origin were only broadly constrained by cosmochemical data from meteorites and solar spectra, and by astronomic data about its size, shape, motions, and surficial properties (Urey, 1951, 1952; Kuiper, 1954). Most investigators who were active before the space age began in 1957 believed that significant new advances in lunar knowledge required acquisition of additional data.

Настоящая книга составлена по инициативе кафедры инженерной геологии и гидрогеологии Московского геолого-разведочного института и предназначена служить учебным пособием по дисциплине «Военная геология» для студентов последнего курса геологических вузов и втузов

Задача этого пособия – ознакомить студентов со всеми видами применения геологии и гидрогеологии в военном и, главным образом, военно-инженерном деле

The flight of the Mariner 2 spacecraft past Venus in December 1962 marked the start of a new era in the exploration of the solar system. At that time our knowledge of the terrestrial planets other than Earth (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) was largely astronomical in nature.

Нашъ вѣкъ очень часто называютъ вѣкомъ естественныхъ наукъ.
Въ этомъ случаѣ имѣютъ въ виду не столько поразительный расцвѣтъ естественныхъ наукъ, не столько познаніе законовъ природы, сколько успѣхи, достигнутые въ практической области.