Physical Geology - Softcover

PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH, Fifth Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the physical aspects of Earth's processes, not just on its surface, but above and below as well. In this acclaimed book, the authors link diverse material with the common thread of plate tectonics, an approach that provides a global perspective of Earth and allows students to recognize seemingly unrelated geologic phenomena as a continuum of interrelated events within a complete planetary system. In addition to providing students with a basic understanding of geology and its processes, the authors also demonstrate how geology relates to the human experience, affecting individuals as well as society as a whole. One of Monroe and Wicander's goals is to encourage the (primarily) non-scientists taking this course to become informed citizens. To that end, they ask the question "What would you do?" throughout the text to allow students to explore their reactions to particular situations. The authors also have an increased focus on practical, relevant applications. To further enhance the students' learning experience, this edition is now fully integrated, on a concept level and with book-specific interactivities, with a FREE brand-new, student tutorial system called Physical GeologyNow. Physical GeologyNow is Web-based, assessment-driven, and completely flexible, offering a personalized learning plan based on each student's quiz results to help students focus on the concepts they don't yet understand. The Active Figures in Physical GeologyNow animate the gorgeous, newly revised art program, drawing students in and bringing the study of physical geology to life.

This introductory textbook makes a point of continually relating geological processes to human experiences. Chapters cover minerals, igneous rock, volcanoes, weathering and erosion, sediment and sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, geologic time, earthquakes, the earth's interior, the seafloor, plate tectonics, the evolution of continents, mass wa