Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, Global Edition

Book Preface

Earth is a very small part of a vast universe, but it is our home. It provides the resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. Knowledge of our physical environment is critical to our well-being and vital to our survival. A basic geology course can help a person gain such an understanding, and can also take advantage of the interest and curiosity many of us have about our planet—its landscapes and the processes that create and alter our physical environment.

This 12th edition of Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, like its predecessors, is a college-level text that is intended to be a meaningful, nontechnical survey for students taking their first course in geology. In addition to being informative and up-to-date, a major goal of Earth is to meet the need for a readable and user-friendly text, a book that is a highly usable tool for students learning the basic principles and concepts of geology.

Although many topical issues are examined in the 12th edition of Earth, it should be emphasized that the main focus of this new edition remains the same as the focus of earlier editions: to promote student understanding of basic principles. As much as possible, we have attempted to provide the reader with a sense of the observational techniques and reasoning processes that constitute the science of geology.

New and Important Features

The 12th edition represents an extensive and thorough revision of Earth that integrates improved textbook resources with new online features to enhance the learning experience,

• Significant updating and revision of content. A basic function of a college science textbook is to present material in a clear, understandable way that is accurate, engaging, and up-to-date. In the long history of this textbook, our numberone goal has always been to keep Earth current, relevant, and highly readable for beginning students. To that end, every part of this text has been examined carefully. Many discussions, case studies, examples, and illustrations have been updated and revised.

• SmartFigures that make Earth much more than a traditional textbook. Through its many editions, an important strength of Earth has always been clear, logically organized, and well-illustrated explanations. Now, complementing and reinforcing this strength are a series of SmartFigures. Simply by scanning a SmartFigure with a mobile device and Pearson’s BouncePages Augmented
Reality app (FREE and available for iOS and Android), students can link to hundreds of unique and innovative digital learning opportunities that will increase their insight and understanding of important ideas and concepts. We have also placed short URLs in the caption for every SmartFigure. This will ensure that students who may not have a smart phone, will have the ability to access these videos easily. SmartFigures are truly art that teaches! This 12th edition of Earth has more than 200 SmartFigures, of five different types:
1. SmartFigure Tutorials. Each of these 2- to 4-minute tutorials, prepared and narrated by Professor Callan Bentley, is a mini-lesson that examines and explains the concepts illustrated by the figure.
2. SmartFigure Mobile Field Trips. Scattered throughout this new edition are 24 video field trips that explore classic geologic sites from Iceland to Hawaii. On each trip you will accompany geologist-pilot-photographer Michael Collier in the air and on the ground to see and learn about landscapes that relate to discussions in the chapter.
3. SmartFigure Condor Videos. The 10 Condor videos take you to sites in the American West. By coupling aerial footage acquired by a quadcopter aircraft with groundlevel views, effective narratives, and helpful animations, these videos will engage you in real-life case studies.
4. SmartFigure Animations. Scanning the many figures with this designation brings art to life. These animations and accompanying narrations illustrate and explain many difficult-to-visualize topics and ideas more effectively than static art alone.
5. SmartFigure Videos. Rather than providing a single image to illustrate an idea, these figures include short video clips that help illustrate such diverse subjects as mineral properties and the structure of ice sheets.