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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Rocks, minerals & fossils
A richly illustrated collection of musings about fossils and fossil
collecting from the author of "Fossil Collecting in the
Mid-Atlantic States" (Johns Hopkins University Press), "Fossil
Beach" (Pietas), "Virginia Through Time" (Pietas), "Exploring
Fossils" (Virginia Museum of Natural History, 1998), "Trilobites:
Common Trilobites of North America" (NatureGuide Books, 1999), and
the illustrator of "Discovering Fossils" by Frank A. Garcia and
Donald S. Miller (Stackpole Books, 1998). "Fossil Dreams" includes
numerous black and white drawings and photographs of fossils to
illustrate the author's anecdotes and reflections about fossils,
fossil collecting, and time.
Minerals and Human Health is written in response to the demand for
additional knowledge about global climate change, the industrial
contamination of water reservoirs, and epidemiological intoxication
from industrial hazards related to the use of mineral resources.
The book addresses issues associated with the physical and
geological processes of the Earth, the sustainability and fragility
of the Earth's resources, and the interplay between health,
industrial activities, and environments. It combines mineralogy,
medicine, and the environmental, life, and political sciences to
develop solutions to ease human suffering from geological toxicity.
Minerals and Human Health helps students to understand the Earth's
activities and the unique resources that sustain life and
facilitate industrial progress. The text teaches readers how the
dispersal of geological materials effects the human population.
In-book quizzes allow students to assess their own progress.
Questions for discussion and review encourage critical thinking and
debate and support retention. Minerals and Human Health can be used
in courses on earth and environmental sciences, geopollution, and
geochemistry.
In 1849, a gang of railroad workers racing to build the first
railroad across Vermont stumbled upon the fossil bones of a
mysterious animal buried deep in sticky, blue clay. A local natural
historian was consulted who quickly and correctly declared the
bones to be those of a beluga whale. But with one question
answered, a dozen more sprang up. How did the bones of a small,
white whale end up buried ten feet beneath a rural Vermont farm
field, two mountain ranges and over 200 miles from the nearest
ocean? Why did two of the most significant fossil discoveries in
19th century New England occur in Vermont on consecutive summers?
And how would these discoveries fit into the rapidly evolving
scientific debate over glacial ice ages, evolution and the history
of the Earth? How Do You Get a Whale in Vermont? is the story of an
ancient whale that captured the imagination of an entire State and
went on to become Vermont's official State Fossil.
Large temperate rivers around the world have been historically
affected by human activities and face an uncertain future in which
water quality may be further threatened by climate change, urban
development, agriculture, exotic species, recreation, and
transportation uses (Meybeck and Helmer 1989; Zhang et al. 1999).
In addition, large rivers can transfer water quality pollutants
from land to sea, such as agricultural nitrogen in the Mississippi
River causing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico (Burkart and James
1999).
Earth is made up of different types of rock. There are three main
types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. You have
probably seen all of these different rocks-you just didn't know it!
Introduce students to rocks and minerals with this science reader
that features easy-to-read text. Nonfiction text features include a
glossary, index, and detailed images to facilitate close reading
and help students connect back to the text. Aligned to state and
national standards, the book also includes a fun and engaging
science experiment to develop critical thinking and help students
practice what they have learned.
Metamorphism generates electrical and magnetic phenomena, and is
influenced by these forces. Information fundamental to their
combined study is presented, including examples from
microtectonics, crystal physics, geophysics, seismology, mineralogy
and materials science. Applications for earthquake prediction,
planetary science research, alternative energy and science
education are included. Work on reported seismic electric signals
is analyzed and summarized. Ten hypotheses related to earthquake
mechanisms and prediction are presented, as well as eighteen
recommendations for further study. Eight microtectonic deformation
mechanisms are explored. Two hundred seventeen descriptions of
minerals exhibiting ferroelectricity, pyroelectricity or
piezoelectricity are presented, with quantitative data where known.
Fifty-three of these are centrosymmetric, and explanations are
given for their apparent violations of crystal theory. A
comprehensive list of thirty-two mechanisms that generate telluric
currents is also presented, as are some novel or inexpensive
experimental techniques in crystal physics.
This document describes the rationale and methods used by the
National Park Service (NPS) for long-term monitoring of
paleontological sites and resources at Zion National Park. The
monitoring effort will collect data for key metrics representing
the health of paleontological resources in Zion NP. The monitoring
provides park managers with a warning of changes that are
occurring, and justifies further administrative action. This
narrative portion of the protocol provides background and
justification for the monitoring of paleontological resources, as
well as brief descriptions of data collection methods and
operational procedures.
South America is home to some of the most distinctive mammals on
Earth—giant armadillos, tiny anteaters, the world's largest
rodent, and its smallest deer. But the continent once supported a
variety of other equally intriguing mammals that have no close
living relatives: armored mammals with tail clubs, saber-toothed
marsupials, and even a swimming sloth. We know of the existence of
these peculiar species thanks to South America's rich fossil
record, which provides many glimpses of prehistoric mammals and the
ecosystems in which they lived. Organized as a "walk through time"
and featuring species from 15 important fossil sites, this book is
the most extensive and richly illustrated volume devoted
exclusively to the Cenozoic mammals of South America. The text is
supported by 75 life reconstructions of extinct species in their
native habitats, as well as photographs of fossil specimens and the
sites highlighted in the book. An annotated bibliography is
included for those interested in delving into the scientific
literature.
This is a comprehensive study of forest soils for foresters,
wildlife and park managers, ecologists, and others interested in
forest soils. It provides a valuable text for introductory and more
advanced courses. The first ten chapters deal with basic soil
information: texture, structure, and porosity; colour, temperature,
and aeration; water; organic content; biological organisms and
processes; chemistry; fertility; classification; and surveys. The
last six chapters consider the components of the forest soil
systems as related processes, discussing roots, fire, and water and
nutrient cycles as they exist in natural forests and as they are
modified by man. Professor Armson examines the process of forest
soil development, and the place of soil as a part of a continuously
changing landscape from both the historical and ecological
viewpoints. An appendix describes the procedures for soil profile
description and sampling. Full bibliographical references are
supplied.
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