A detailed account of the geology shown on the complementary 1: 50 000 (or earlier 1: 63 360) geological map(s)

This book provides an appealing and informative overview of the outstanding landforms and landscapes of Scotland. Scotland is internationally renowned for the diversity of its geology, landforms and landscapes. The rock record spans most of geological time, from the Archaean to the Palaeogene, and represents the outcome of tectonic plate movements, associated geological processes, and sea-level and climate changes. Scotland incorporates primeval gneiss landscapes, the deeply eroded roots of the Caledonian mountain chain, landscapes of extensional tectonics and rifting, and eroded remnants of volcanic complexes that were active when the North Atlantic Ocean opened during the Palaeogene. The present relief reflects uplift and deep weathering during the Cenozoic, strongly modified during successive episodes of Pleistocene glaciation. This striking geodiversity is captured in this book through 29 chapters devoted to the evolution of Scotland’s scenery and locations of outstanding geomorphological significance, including ancient palaeosurfaces, landscapes of glacial erosion and deposition, evidence of postglacial landscape modification by landslides, rivers and wind, and coastal geomorphology. Dedicated chapters focus on Ice Age Scotland and the associated landscapes, which range from alpine-type mountains and areas of selective glacial erosion to ice-moulded and drift-covered lowlands, and incorporate accounts of internationally renowned sites such as the ‘Parallel Roads’ of Glen Roy, the Cairngorm Mountains and the inselbergs of Assynt. Other chapters consider the record of postglacial rock-slope failures, such as the famous landslides of Trotternish on Skye, and the record of fluvial changes since deglaciation. The sea-level history of Scotland is addressed in terms of its raised and submerged shorelines, while several chapters discuss the contrasting coastal landscapes, which range from the spectacular sea cliffs of Shetland and Orkney to the beaches and dunes of eastern Scotland. The role of geoconservation in preserving Scotland’s outstanding geomorphological heritage is outlined in the final chapter. The book offers an up-to-date and richly illustrated reference guide for geomorphologists, other Earth scientists, geographers, conservationists, and all those interested in geology, physical geography, geomorphology, geotourism, geoheritage and environmental protection.

Although a small country, Scotland’s geology is complex, internationally renowned and offers an accessible outdoor research laboratory and training ground for earth science. The onshore and offshore geology together encompass examples of all Earth’s geological periods and preserve many classic examples of sedimentary basins and orogenic belts. Palaeontological findings have provided key evidence for the evolution of life. With a wide spectrum of contributors, full-colour figures and photographs and, for each chapter, a Topic Box highlighting key research developments and challenges, this 5th edition of The Geology of Scotland represents a major update and expansion from the 4th edition. A revised Introduction summarizes the geological evolution of Scotland, the nature of the crust and the societal relevance of geology to climate change and sustainability. The final three chapters provide a modern view on energy, water and minerals, environmental concerns and geoconservation. The intervening chapters cover the geological periods, including much new geochronological data and exciting new palaeontological discoveries.

The book presents an up-to-date, detailed overview of the Quaternary glaciations all over the world, not only with regard to stratigraphy but also with regard to major glacial landforms and the extent of the respective ice sheets. The locations of key sites are included. The information is presented in digital, uniformly prepared maps which can be used in a Geographical Information System (GIS) such as ArcView or ArcGIS. The accompanying text supplies the information on how the data were obtained (geomorphology, geological mapping, air photograph evaluation, satellite imagery), how the features were dated (14C, TL, relative stratigraphy) and how reliable they are supposed to be. All references to the underlying basic publications are included. Where controversial interpretations are possible e.g. in Siberia or Tibet, this is pointed out. As a result, the information on Quaternary glaciations worldwide will be much improved and supplied in a uniform digital format. The information on the glacial limits is compiled in digital form by the coordinators of the project, and is available for download at: http://booksite.elsevier.com/9780444534477/ Completely updated detailed coverage of worldwide Quaternary glaciations Information in digital, uniformly prepared maps which can be used in a GIS such as ArcView or ArcGis Step-by-step guideline how to open and use ArcGis files Possibility to convert the shapefiles into GoogleEarth kmz-files Availability of chronological controls

This book discusses the theoretical and practical issues of glaciokarsts. After a research history, a general description of glaciokarsts is provided. Thereafter, the glacial erosion on karst, the karstic features of glaciokarsts, the development of these features, the karstic zones of glaciokarsts, surface development of glaciokarsts, case studies on glaciokarsts and an overview of the glaciokarsts of the Earth are presented.

Although a small country, Scotland’s geology is complex, internationally renowned and offers an accessible outdoor research laboratory and training ground for earth science. The onshore and offshore geology together encompass examples of all Earth’s geological periods and preserve many classic examples of sedimentary basins and orogenic belts. Palaeontological findings have provided key evidence for the evolution of life. With a wide spectrum of contributors, full-colour figures and photographs and, for each chapter, a Topic Box highlighting key research developments and challenges, this 5th edition of The Geology of Scotland represents a major update and expansion from the 4th edition. A revised Introduction summarizes the geological evolution of Scotland, the nature of the crust and the societal relevance of geology to climate change and sustainability. The final three chapters provide a modern view on energy, water and minerals, environmental concerns and geoconservation. The intervening chapters cover the geological periods, including much new geochronological data and exciting new palaeontological discoveries.

The contributions in this book explore several geologically significant sites and, in doing so, acknowledge and explore not just the geological exposures themselves, but also the people and issues that are fundamentally intertwined with the history of our science and its impact on our society. Through selective examples of outcrops and locales integral to the history of geology, we explore the evolution of modern geology, as well as the geodiversity and geoheritage of our planet. While the volume is far from comprehensive, the chapters contained herein detail a range for geoheritage value, scale of geoheritage sites and potential for geoheritage opportunities that will promote a broader, richer understanding of the complexity of the geoheritage of Earth. Importantly, many chapters offer a cautionary tale of sites almost lost to posterity and submit their take-away lessons for community mobilization towards geoheritage site protection.

Map-making is a fundamental tool for developing geological knowledge. It involves data collection and interpretation and has its roots in the earliest discoveries in Earth science. It is the starting point for stratigraphic and structural interpretations, metamorphic facies, geochronology and modelling studies – and underpins civil engineering. From the beginning, geological mapping rapidly evolved into far more than being a simple spatial catalogue of observable rock types and landforms on the Earth’s land-surface: deductive reasoning allows this knowledge to infer subsurface Earth structure. However, the same approaches have also been down-scaled to deduce processes on the grain-scale; or up-scaled to look out to extraterrestrial objects. This Special Publication draws together these strands, crossing geoscience disciplines and observation scales to celebrate geological mapping, its historical importance and future directions, and its use in applied geology together with developing knowledge of Earth and planetary evolution and processes.