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The overarching goal of Physical Geology: Investigating Earth is to provide students with a basic understanding of geology and its processes and, most importantly, with an understanding of how geology relates to the human experience-that is, how geology affects individuals, society, and nation-states.
List of contents
1. Understanding Earth: A Dynamic and Evolving Planet2. Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory3. Minerals: The Building Blocks of Rocks4. Igneous Rocks and Intrusive Igneous Activity5. Volcanoes and Volcanism6. Weathering, Erosion, and Soil7. Sediment and Sedimentary Rocks8. Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks9. Earthquakes 10. Earth's Interior11. Deformation, Mountain Building, and the Continents12. Mass Wasting13. Running Water14. Groundwater15. Glaciers and Glaciation16. The Work of Wind and Deserts17. Oceans, Shorelines, and Shoreline Processes18. Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles
About the author
Reed Wicander is Professor Emeritus of Geology at Central Michigan University, where he taught Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Invertebrate Paleontology. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Wicander earned his B.S. degree in geology from San Diego State University and his Ph.D. from UCLA. His main research focuses on various aspects of Paleozoic palynology, specifically the study of acritarchs, a group of organic-walled microphytoplankton, on which he has published many papers. In addition, he has co-authored numerous geology textbooks with James S. Monroe. He is a past president of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists – The Palynological Society and the Commission Internationale de la Microflore du Paléozoïque, as well as a former councilor of the International Federation of Palynological Societies.James S. Monroe is Professor Emeritus of Geology at Central Michigan University, where he taught Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Stratigraphy and Sedimentology, and served as chair of the Geology Department. Dr. Monroe earned his Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He has coauthored numerous geology textbooks with Reed Wicander and has interests in Cenozoic geology and geologic education. He now lives in Chico, California where he remains active in geology by teaching courses to large groups of retirees.
Summary
The overarching goal of Physical Geology: Investigating Earth is to provide students with a basic understanding of geology and its processes and, most importantly, with an understanding of how geology relates to the human experience—that is, how geology affects individuals, society, and nation-states.
