Earth Materials

Minerals and rocks form the foundation of geologic studies. Excellent textbooks currently exist in mineralogy, igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology and metamorphic petrology. It is not our intention to compete with these textbooks. However, many universities have compressed separate mineralogy and petrology courses into a one- or two-semester Earth Materials course. Presently, no textbook adequately addresses the needs of an Earth Materials course. We have developed a textbook that encompasses the study of minerals, rocks as well as soil and water. This Earth Materials textbook is geared towards a one- or two-semester Earth Materials course, a combined mineralogy and petrology course, and can also be used by environmental scientists, engineering geologists, planners and laypersons interested in learning about minerals, rocks, soil and water in a comprehensive framework. We have attempted to create a readable, well illustrated textbook that is comprehensible and that weaves different disciplines into one cohesive fabric.
Key features of this book include:
Equal coverage of mineralogy, sedimentary petrology, igneous petrology and metamorphic petrology
Copious field examples and regional relationships with graphics that illustrate the concepts discussed
Numerous case studies to show the uses of earth materials as resources and their fundamental role in our lives and the global economy, and their relation to natural and human-induced hazards
The integration of earth materials into a cohesive process-based earth systems framework
2 color throughout with a 64 pages 4 color section
A companion website is available for this title at www.wiley.com/go/hefferan/earthmaterials. Minerals and rocks form the foundation of geologic studies. Excellent textbooks currently exist in mineralogy, igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology and metamorphic petrology. It is not our intention to compete with these textbooks. However, many universities have compressed separate mineralogy and petrology courses into a one- or two-semester Earth Materials course. Presently, no textbook adequately addresses the needs of an Earth Materials course. We have developed a textbook that encompasses the study of minerals, rocks as well as soil and water. This Earth Materials textbook is geared towards a one- or two-semester Earth Materials course, a combined mineralogy and petrology course, and can also be used by environmental scientists, engineering geologists, planners and laypersons interested in learning about minerals, rocks, soil and water in a comprehensive framework. We have attempted to create a readable, well illustrated textbook that is comprehensible and that weaves different disciplines into one cohesive fabric.

List of contents

Preface.
Acknowledgments.
1. Earth materials and the geosphere.
2. Atoms, elements, bonds and coordination polyhedra.
3 Atomic substitution, phase diagrams and isotopes.
4. Crystallography.
5. Mineral properties and rock-forming minerals.
6. Optical identification of minerals.
7. Classification of igneous rocks.
8. Magma and intrusive structures.
9. Volcanic features and landforms.
10. Igneous rock associations.
11. The sedimentary cycle: erosion, transportation, deposition and sedimentary structures.
12. Weathering, sediment production and soils.
13. Detrital sediments and sedimentary rocks.
14. Biochemical sedimentary rocks.
15. Metamorphism.
16. Metamorphism: stress, deformation and structures.
17. Texture and classification of metamorphic rocks.
18. Metamorphic zones, facies and facies series.
19. Mineral resources and hazards.
References.
Index.
Periodic table.
List of elements.

About the author

Kevin Hefferan was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ to parents originating from Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland. Kevin received his geologic training at New Jersey City State University, Bryn Mawr College and Duke University. Kevin is married to Sherri (Cramer) Hefferan and is the proud father of Kaeli, Patrick, Sierra, Keegan and Quin of Stevens Point, WI.

Married (Anita, 40 years) with two sons (Tyler, 30 and Owen, 26). Born (10 Dec., 1941) in Seattle, Washington, raised there and in Ohio and southern California. Parents were teachers, so summers were spent with family travelling throughout the west, imbuing me with a passion for the natural world. Discovered a passion for working with students as a teaching assistant at Miami University (Ohio) and combined the two passions in a career teaching geological sciences at New Jersey City University. A sedimentologist by training, I took over responsibility for mineralogy, petrology and structure courses when a colleague departed. The Earth Materials text is in part the result of that serendipitous occurrence.

Product details

• Authors: Heffera, Hefferan, Kevin Hefferan, Kevin/ O'Brien Hefferan, O'Brien, John O'Brien
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 17.05.2010
• EAN: 9781405144339
• ISBN: 978-1-4051-4433-9
• No. of pages: 608
• Dimensions: 229 mm x 286 mm x 38 mm
• Subject: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > General, dictionaries