Minerals and rocks form the foundation of geologic studies. This new textbook has been written to address the needs of students at the increasing number of universities that have compressed separate mineralogy and petrology courses into a one- or two-semester Earth materials course. 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; two color thoughout with 48 pages of four color. Readership: students taking an earth materials, or combined mineralogy and petrology course in an earth science degree program. It will also be useful for environmental scientists, engineering geologists, and physical geographers who need to learn about minerals, rocks, soil and water in a comprehensive framework. A companion website for this book is available at: www.wiley.com/go/hefferan/earthmaterials.

With an approach that stresses the fundamental solid state behaviour of minerals, this 1995 text surveys the physics and chemistry of earth materials.

A range of natural earth materials, like arsenic or fluoride, have long been linked to significant human health effects. Improved understanding of the pervasive and complex interactions between earth materials and human health will require creative collaborations between earth scientists and public health professionals. At the request of the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this National Research Council book assesses the current state of knowledge at the interface between the earth sciences and public health disciplines. The book identifies high-priority areas for collaborative research, including understanding the transport and bioavailability of potentially hazardous earth materials, using risk-based scenarios to mitigate the public health effects of natural hazards under current and future climate regimes, and understanding the health risks that result from disturbance of earth systems. Geospatial information - geological maps for earth scientists and epidemiological data for public health professionals - is identified as one of the essential integrative tools that is fundamental to the activities of both communities. The book also calls for increased data sharing between agencies to promote interdisciplinary research without compromising privacy.

Key concepts in mineralogy and petrology are explained alongside beautiful full-color illustrations, in this concisely written textbook.

There is a large and growing need for a textbook that can form the basis for integrated classes that look at minerals, rocks, and other Earth materials. Despite the need, no high-quality book is available for such a course. Earth Materials is a wide-ranging undergraduate textbook that covers all the most important kinds of (inorganic) Earth materials. Besides traditional chapters on minerals and rocks, this book features chapters on sediments and stratigraphy, weathering and soils, water and the hydrosphere, and mineral and energy deposits. Introductions to soil mechanics and rock mechanics are also included. This book steers away from the model of traditional encyclopedic science textbooks, but rather exposes students to the key and most exciting ideas and information, with an emphasis on thinking about Earth as a system. The book is written in such a manner as to support inquiry, discovery and other forms of active learning. All chapters start with a short topical story or vignette, and the plentiful photographs and other graphics are integrated completely with the text. Earth Materials will be interesting and useful for a wide range of learners, including geoscience students, students taking mineralogy and petrology courses, engineers, and anyone interested in learning more about the Earth as a system.

Electrical Spectroscopy of Earth Materials provides detailed coverage of theoretical and experimental methods of electrical spectroscopy of Earth materials, based on first-hand research and extensive data. The book includes actual data sets and specific explanations for the methods used in obtaining and analyzing the data, including graphical displays of results. It describes the electrical properties of various soil samples and offers both theory and techniques for researchers to apply to their own research. Including examination of the practical aspects of electrical spectroscopy measurements and extensive computer-readable data, Electrical Spectroscopy of Earth Materials is a unique resource for geophysicists to save both time and effort in understanding and analyzing Earth materials and soil properties. - Includes coverage of spectroscopic methods, including details of the measurement process and lab setup - Provides information about the data processing program for calculating all electrical parameters - Presents computer-readable data for all samples from a wide variety of electrical conditions, including high-loss and low-loss soils - Features case studies and complete data sets for soil electrical property measurements

For courses in Earth Materials, Petrology and Mineralogy. This comprehensive volume, covering all aspects of mineralogy, optical mineralogy and petrology addresses the recent and dramatic shift in geological sciences. The text provides students with a sense of the quantitative nature of the field and details the exciting new developments in the study of earth materials.

Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science identifies areas of high-priority research within the purview of the Earth Science Division of the National Science Foundation, assesses cross-disciplinary connections, and discusses the linkages between basic research and societal needs. Opportunities in Earth science have been opened up by major improvements in techniques for reading the geological record of terrestrial change, capabilities for observing active processes in the present-day Earth, and computational technologies for realistic simulations of dynamic geosystems. This book examines six specific areas in which the opportunities for basic research are especially compelling, including integrative studies of the near-surface environment (the "Critical Zone"); geobiology; Earth and planetary materials; investigations of the continents; studies of Earth's deep interior; and planetary science. It concludes with a discussion of mechanisms for exploiting these research opportunities, including EarthScope, natural laboratories, and partnerships.

An understanding of rocks and the minerals that comprise them lies at the core of every geologist’s education. As more curricula combine mineralogy and petrology into a single course, Raymond and Johnson have responded with a concise introduction to the study of Earth materials. The authors have written at a level that won’t intimidate students encountering fundamental concepts for the first time, yet with enough rigor that they’ll be well prepared for future study. A broad approach to the subject that incorporates fluids and soils will appeal to instructors who teach engineering and environmental science students as well as future geoscientists. Abundant illustrations reinforce all of the ideas in the text. Many images are presented in color, with additional color images available at waveland.com/Raymond-Johnson. Problems appear throughout the book, encouraging a deeper understanding for students. Helpful appendices make it easy for instructors to assign further exercises in rock and mineral identification as well as optical mineralogy and petrography.

This graduate textbook presents a comprehensive, unified treatment of the materials science of deformation as applied to solid Earth geophysics and geology. The deformation of Earth materials is presented in a systematic way covering elastic, anelastic and viscous deformation. Advanced discussions on relevant debates are also included to bring readers a full picture of science in this interdisciplinary area. This textbook is ideal for graduate courses on the rheology and dynamics of solid Earth, and includes review questions with solutions so readers can monitor their understanding of the material presented. It is also a much-needed reference for geoscientists in many fields including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, materials science, mineralogy and ceramics.