The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution, 7th Edition

James S. Monroe, Reed Wicander

Copyright 2015
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The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution 7th Edition by James S. Monroe/Reed Wicander

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Overview
Meet the Authors
What's New
Features
Table of Contents
Pricing

Overview

THE CHANGING EARTH: EXPLORING GEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, Seventh Edition, is written specifically for courses covering both physical and historical geology. Three interrelated themes (plate tectonics, organic evolution, and geologic time) help students understand that Earth is a complex, integrated, and continually changing system. In the new edition authors James S. Monroe and Reed Wicander integrate content emphasizing the economic impacts of geology. Topics such as fracking, nuclear waste, and the threat of earthquakes are covered in new Geo-Impact boxes that stress real-world applications. Lauded for their clear writing style, the authors go beyond simply explaining geology and its processes; rather, they place that knowledge within the context of human experience by consistently emphasizing relevance, resources, and the environment. New Global Geoscience Watch activities help students learn how to use an extensive database of articles on geology that are updated several times a day and are available exclusively for users of this book.

Meet the Authors

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James S. Monroe

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.

Reed Wicander

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.

What's New

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New Geo-Impact boxes present new content emphasizing the economic impacts of geology. Topics such as fracking, nuclear waste, and the threat of earthquakes are covered in new Geo-Impact boxes that stress real-world applications.
New Global Geoscience Watch activities help students learn how to use an extensive database of articles on geology that are updated several times a day and are available exclusively for users of this book.

Features

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"Have You Ever Wondered?" Questions at the Beginning of Each Chapter: Intriguing questions catch students' attention and motivate them to read the chapter and find the answers.
Connections Boxes Help Students See the Big Picture: By viewing Earth as a system, students can see how its various components are interconnected and also appreciate its complex and dynamic nature. In the new edition, these inter-relationships are facilitated by Connections Boxes, a small box referring the reader to other locations in the text where more information can be found and connections made on important topics.
Geo-Images Challenge Students to Develop Strong Observational and Critical Thinking Skills: At the end of most chapters, a photo or graphic is presented that challenges students to describe the geologic processes being depicted and to support their conclusions with logical reasoning.
Additional Critical Thinking Questions Added to Many Figures: Selected figures within the text are now accompanied by a critical thinking question to encourage active student learning, guide student observational skill development, and deepen understanding of geologic processes.
Recognizing geology as an especially visual science, the art program has been carefully updated, with new photographs that help students identify geologic features in the world around them, and new diagrams and maps that illustrate the concepts discussed in the text. Furthermore, the captions have been redesigned to improve readability and, where appropriate, critical thinking questions have been added to enhance student observational skill development and deepen understanding of geologic processes.
Fully updated to reflect the most current information in the field, this edition also includes coverage of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the 2009 Haiti earthquake, volcanic eruptions in Iceland and Indonesia, floods in Pakistan, and new information on glaciers and global warming.
The two-page concept art spreads, called Geo-inSight, present an array of relevant photographs, along with in-depth captions that illuminate a specific geological landform, collection, or event. Geo-inSights improve understanding by encouraging students to analyze and synthesize information visually.
Integration of economic and environmental geology throughout the text clearly draws the connection between the relevant aspects of the course to students' lives and future careers.
Geo-Focus boxes highlight current geologic research and events. New topics include "Gems and Gemstones", "Do Volcanoes Cause Ozone Depletion?", "Industrialization and Acid Rain", and "Dams, Reservoirs, and Hydroelectric Power."
Chapter summary and review questions emphasize critical thinking and analytical skills. The last question of the Review section in each chapter includes a photograph or illustration designed to challenge students to develop strong observational and critical thinking skills.

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1. Understanding Earth: A Dynamic and Evolving Planet.
2. Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory.
3. Minerals—The Building Blocks of Rocks.
4. Igneous Rocks and Plutons.
5. Volcanoes and Volcanism.
6. Weathering, Erosion, and Soil.
7. Sediment and Sedimentary Rocks.
8. Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks.
9. Earthquakes and Earth's Interior.
10. Deformation, Mountain Building, and Earth's Crust.
11. Mass Wasting.
12. Running Water—Streams and Rivers.
13. Groundwater.
14. Glaciers and Glaciation.
15. The Work of Wind and Deserts.
16. Oceans, Shorelines, and Shoreline Processes.
17. Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles.
18. Organic Evolution—The Theory and Its Supporting Evidence.
19. Precambrian Earth and Life History.
20. Paleozoic Earth History.
21. Paleozoic Life History.
22. Mesozoic Earth and Life History.
23. Cenozoic Earth and Life History.
24. Geology in Perspective.