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เนื้อหาย่อ : FOCUS This book is about the solid rock earth, especially the processes that formed its surface features. In this sense it covers classical geology, but in order to understand these features, it will be necessary to consider evi- dence from a wide range of fields. Thus, the viewpoint is wide, and many of the topics would not have appeared in a geology text only a few years ago. This broadness, however, makes modern geology a more valuable course for the nonscience major. Most of the changes in this revision are in response to a survey, and it is hoped that they make the book more interesting, more timely, and more useful to both the student and the instructor. The introductory chapter has been revised and retitled, and now introduces plate tecton- ics. This enables the rock chapters to relate the various rock types to plate tectonics. The classification of pyroclastics has been revised, the discussion of carbonate rocks has been expanded, and a discussion of metamorphic facies has been added. In the mineral resource chapter, metal deposits can now be related to plate tectonics, and the discussion of energy resources has been revised. The erosion chapters have also been revised, and some have new ti- tles. The environmental aspects of river erosion have been placed at the end of that chapter, so that they do not interrupt the discussion of geologic factors. The discussion of sand dunes has been revised and expanded. The discussion of the causes of glaciation has also been ex- panded. Shoreline development has been revised and rewritten. The ground water chapter has been revised, and the discussion of water re- sources has been shortened. Major changes were made in the structural geology chapters. The orig- inal four chapters are now three chapters. The earthquake chapter has been revised and slightly expanded. A new chapter on plate tectonics contains much new material. The continental structures chapter has been tied more closely to plate tectonics. The geologic time chapter has been retitled and revised, with uncon- formities and relative dating expanded. The chapter on astronomical aspects of geology has been revised so that even with the coverage of recent discoveries about the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, it is still about the same length. The space program has made it possible to compare the earth with other planets and, perhaps more important, to see more clearly that the earth is finite. To make the book more interesting and more timely, geological as- pects of environment are included in every chapter to help the student see better the many ways in which geology affects our lives. If today's students understand the environment, they may be able to make our earth a better place. Brief historical summaries at the beginnings of the chapters will help the general education student view the development of science as part of our overall intellectual development, as well as help the geology major better understand the development of geologic con- cepts. Hopefully, the addition of environment and history will help to hu- manize geology. Concern for our environment and realization that our resources are lim- ited have made geology courses more popular and relevant today. Unfor- tunately, many students can take only one geology course, which gener- ally emphasizes physical geology, and so miss historical geology. Historical geology reinforces some of geology's most important con-