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 the 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.
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.
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 PhD 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 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 PhD 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 councillor of the International Federation of Palynological Societies.