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Introduction
Preface
Steven Earle
Acknowledgments
About BCcampus Open Education
1. Chapter 1
2. 1.1 What Is Geology?
3. 1.2 Why Study Earth?
4. 1.3 What Do Geologists Do?
5. 1.4 Minerals and Rocks
6. 1.5 Fundamentals of Plate Tectonics
7. 1.6 Geological Time
8. Chapter 1 Summary
9. 2.1 Electrons, Protons, Neutrons, and Atoms
10. 2.2 Bonding and Lattices
11. 2.3 Mineral Groups
12. 2.4 Silicate Minerals
13. 2.5 Formation of Minerals
14. 2.6 Mineral Properties
15. Chapter 2 Summary
16. 3.1 The Rock Cycle
17. 3.2 Magma and Magma Formation
18. 3.3 Crystallization of Magma
19. 3.4 Classification of Igneous Rocks
20. 3.5 Intrusive Igneous Bodies
21. Chapter 3 Summary
22. 4.1 Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
23. 4.2 Magma Composition and Eruption Style
24. 4.3 Types of Volcanoes
25. 4.4 Volcanic Hazards
26. 4.5 Monitoring Volcanoes and Predicting Eruptions
27. 4.6 Volcanoes in British Columbia
28. Chapter 4 Summary
29. 5.1 Mechanical Weathering
30. 5.2 Chemical Weathering
31. 5.3 The Products of Weathering and Erosion
32. 5.4 Weathering and the Formation of Soil
33. 5.5 The Soils of Canada
34. 5.6 Weathering and Climate Change
35. Chapter 5 Summary
36. 6.1 Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
37. 6.2 Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
38. 6.3 Depositional Environments and Sedimentary Basins
39. 6.4 Sedimentary Structures and Fossils
40. 6.5 Groups, Formations, and Members
41. Chapter 6 Summary
42. 7.1 Controls over Metamorphic Processes
43. 7.2 Classification of Metamorphic Rocks
44. 7.3 Plate Tectonics and Metamorphism
45. 7.4 Regional Metamorphism
46. 7.5 Contact Metamorphism and Hydrothermal Processes
47. Chapter 7 Summary
48. 8.1 The Geological Time Scale
49. 8.2 Relative Dating Methods
50. 8.3 Dating Rocks Using Fossils
51. 8.4 Isotopic Dating Methods
52. 8.5 Other Dating Methods
53. 8.6 Understanding Geological Time
54. Chapter 8 Summary
55. 9.1 Understanding Earth through Seismology
56. 9.2 The Temperature of Earth’s Interior
57. 9.3 Earth’s Magnetic Field
58. 9.4 Isostasy
59. Chapter 9 Summary
60. 10.1 Alfred Wegener — the Father of Plate Tectonics
61. 10.2 Global Geological Models of the Early 20th Century
62. 10.3 Geological Renaissance of the Mid-20th Century
63. 10.4 Plates, Plate Motions, and Plate-Boundary Processes
64. 10.5 Mechanisms for Plate Motion
65. Chapter 10 Summary
66. 11.1 What Is an Earthquake?
67. 11.2 Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
68. 11.3 Measuring Earthquakes
69. 11.4 The Impacts of Earthquakes
70. 11.5 Forecasting Earthquakes and Minimizing Damage and Casualties
71. Chapter 11 Summary
72. 12.1 Stress and Strain
73. 12.2 Folding
74. 12.3 Fracturing and Faulting
75. 12.4 Measuring Geological Structures
76. Chapter 12 Summary
77. 13.1 The Hydrological Cycle
78. 13.2 Drainage Basins
79. 13.3 Stream Erosion and Deposition
80. 13.4 Stream Types
81. 13.5 Flooding
82. Chapter 13 Summary
83. 14.1 Groundwater and Aquifers
84. 14.2 Groundwater Flow
85. 14.3 Groundwater Extraction
86. 14.4 Groundwater Quality
87. Chapter 14 Summary
88. 15.1 Factors That Control Slope Stability
89. 15.2 Classification of Mass Wasting
90. 15.3 Preventing, Delaying, Monitoring, and Mitigating Mass Wasting
91. Chapter 15 Summary
92. 16.1 Glacial Periods in Earth’s History
93. 16.2 How Glaciers Work
94. 16.3 Glacial Erosion
95. 16.4 Glacial Deposition
96. Chapter 16 Summary
97. 17.1 Waves
98. 17.2 Landforms of Coastal Erosion
99. 17.3 Landforms of Coastal Deposition
100. 17.4 Sea-Level Change
101. 17.5 Human Interference with Shorelines
102. Chapter 17 Summary
103. 18.1 The Topography of the Sea Floor
104. 18.2 The Geology of the Oceanic Crust
105. 18.3 Sea-Floor Sediments
106. 18.4 Ocean Water
107. Chapter 18 Summary
108. 19.1 What Makes the Climate Change?
109. 19.2 Anthropogenic Climate Change
110. 19.3 Implications of Climate Change
111. Chapter 19 Summary
112. 20.1 Metal Deposits
113. 20.2 Industrial Minerals
114. 20.3 Fossil Fuels
115. 20.4 Diamonds
116. Chapter 20 Summary
117. 21.1 Geological History of Canada
118. 21.2 Western Canada during the Precambrian
119. 21.3 Western Canada during the Paleozoic
120. 21.4 Western Canada during the Mesozoic
121. 21.5 Western Canada during the Cenozoic
122. Chapter 21 Summary
123. Chapter 22 The Origin of Earth and the Solar System
Karla Panchuk; Department of Geological Sciences; and University of Saskatchewan
124. 22.1 Starting with a Big Bang
125. 22.2 Forming Planets from the Remnants of Exploding Stars
126. 22.3 How to Build a Solar System
127. 22.4 Earth’s First 2 Billion Years
128. 22.5 Are There Other Earths?
129. Chapter 22 Summary
Appendix
Glossary
About the Author
Appendix 1 List of Geologically Important elements and the Periodic Table
Appendix 2 Answers to Review Questions
Appendix 3 Answers to Exercises
Versioning History
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Physical Geology Copyright © by Steven Earle is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.