Arguably the best work to date in the history of geology.--David R. Oldroyd, Science After a superficial first glance, most readers of good will and broad knowledge might dismiss [this book] as being too much about too little. They would be making one of the biggest mistakes in their intellectual lives. . . . [It] could become one of our century's key documents in understanding science and its history.--Stephen Jay Gould, New York Review of Books Surely one of the most important studies in the history of science of recent years, and arguably the best work to date in the history of geology.--David R. Oldroyd, Science

This book gathers and updates the most significant advances of the last two centuries and presents an unprecedented micro paleontological study covering more than 20 stratigraphic sections. This information is supplemented by numerous sedimentological observations and analyses, on the basis of which a new lithostratigraphic framework for the Neogene of the Chacoparanense Basin is proposed. The book is structured in an easy-to-read format: Its main section offers a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge on transgressions in Argentina and similar transgressions in other South American countries, taking into account various key aspects (age, paleoenvironment, micropaleontology, etc.). Secondly, the book presents the main results on the TLP and TEP of the Chacoparanense Basin and the TEP of the Peninsula de Valdes. Lastly, it provides readers with complete stratigraphic profiles (Appendix A), mineralogical analyses (Appendix B), distribution charts (Appendix C), systematics (Appendix D) and plates (Appendix E).

Stratigraphy is the branch of geology which studies rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification).Stratigraphy deals primarily with sedimentary rocks but also embraces layered igneous rocks where layers result from successive lava flows.A common goal of stratigraphic studies is the interpretation of sequences of rock strata, thus understanding the time relationships involved, and correlating units of the sequence with rock strata elsewhere. Nicholas Steno described four principles of stratigraphy in the seventeenth century, including the law of superposition which states that states that, in undeformed stratigraphic sequences, the oldest strata will be at the bottom of the sequence. These ideas still underpin modern stratigraphy which is governed by The International Commission on Stratigraphy. Its primary objective is to precisely define global units (systems, series, and stages) of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart that, in turn, are the basis for the units (periods, epochs, and age) of the International Geologic Time Scale.Stratigraphy has application in many scientific fields, including archaeology, palaeontology and in the search for natural resources. This succinct and accessible introduction to stratigraphy will prove helpful to students and amateur geologists alike.

This book covers a multitude of Alpine-type working areas and processes active in collisional mountain building in the form of 16 selected very up-to-date review and research articles covering the Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides. These data were presented at the 8th workshop on Alpine Geological Studies in Davos held in October 2007. The compilations and new data are of interest to earth scientists interested in mountain building in general and those interested in processes of continental collision in particular. The book is virtually indispensable for advanced students and scientists involved in Alpine studies.

Using fossils to tell geological time, biostratigraphy balances biology with geology. In modern geochronology - meaning timescale-building and making correlations between oceans, continents and hemispheres - the microfossil record of speciations and extinctions is integrated with numerical dates from radioactive decay, geomagnetic reversals through time, and the cyclical wobbles of the earth-sun-moon system. This important modern synthesis follows the development of biostratigraphy from classical origins into petroleum exploration and deep-ocean drilling. It explores the three-way relationship between species of microorganisms, their environment and their evolution through time as expressed in skeletons preserved as fossils. This book is essential reading for advanced students and researchers working in basin analysis, sequence stratigraphy, palaeoceanography, palaeobiology and related fields.

Biomarkers are compounds found in crude oil with structures inherited from once-living organisms. They persist in oil spills, refinery products and archaeological artifacts, and can be used to identify the origin, geological age and environmental conditions prevalent during their formation and alteration. These two volumes will be an invaluable resource for geologists, petroleum geochemists, biogeochemists, environmental and forensic scientists, natural product chemists and archaeologists. The first of two volumes of The Biomarker Guide discusses the origins of biomarkers and introduces basic chemical principles relevant to their study. It goes on to discuss analytical techniques, and the applications of biomarkers in environmental and archaeological problems.

Benthic foraminifera from the classic southern Caribbean region are presented in this book, to provide valuable information on ranges for biostratigraphers working in the region and beyond. Around 1000 of the more important species are assembled - from the Barremian (early Cretaceous) to the middle Miocene, approximately 120 to 10 million years before the present. The deeper water benthic species are tied in to the zonal scheme used in Plankton Stratigraphy, published by Cambridge University Press in 1985. The taxa have been brought up to date generically, and in many cases new comparisons between species have been made - the late Cretaceous and early Paleogene are particularly detailed. This information, together with detailed illustrations, will enable the taxa to be used stratigraphically.

This is the first book to deal comprehensively with Spain's tectonic and sedimentary history over the past sixty or so million years. During Tertiary times, Spain had suffered compressional collision between France and Africa, and its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts had been further modified by extensional rifting. This study will therefore be of interest to earth scientists generally because of the insights it provides into continental crustal deformation. Spain contains some of the best exposed outcrop geology in Europe. Because it includes sectors of two separate foreland basins, and an intervening craton with basins that have been influenced by extensional and strike-slip deformation, it provides excellent material for the development and testing of theories on the study of sedimentary basin formation and filling.

Permian and Triassic rocks in the eastern Tethyan region form continuous marine sequences that record the waning phases of the Paleozoic and the early stages of the Mesozoic eras. This book describes and interprets these rocks, summarizing the distribution of major fossil groups in a way that will allow detailed comparison with strata of comparable age in the western Tethys and other parts of the world. The sixteen contributions by forty authors are the culmination of the five-year long International Geological Correlation Programme Project 203. The detailed information presented here is gathered from many areas in the eastern Tethyan region - from France to Australia - and will be of use in the evaluation of the major changes in the global marine biosphere known to have taken place at the end of the Paleozoic era. The stratigraphic record for this fascinating segment of Earth history is not widespread elsewhere in the world and is most continuous in the region covered by this book.

This edition reviews the results of Apollos 11, 12, 14, and 15. Included are approximately sixty new pages of text and forty new photographs and pictures. Thomas A. Mutch has written this book for students of lunar geology and scientists in diverse fields related to astrogeology as well as for the interested layman. Originally published in 1973. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Ordos Basin: Sedimentological Research for Hydrocarbons Exploration provides an overview of sedimentological approaches used in the lacustrine Ordos Basin (but also applicable in other marine and lacustrine basins) to make hydrocarbon exploration more efficient. Oil exploration is becoming increasingly focused on tight sandstone reservoirs and shales. The development of these reservoirs, particularly regarding the sedimentary processes and the resulting sediments, are still poorly understood. Exploration and exploitation of such reservoirs requires new insights into the lateral and vertical facies changes, and as already indicated above, the knowledge surrounding facies and how they change in deep-water environments is still relatively unclear.

This comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge of the biostratigraphy of marine plankton is the work of an international team of eighteen authors. It covers all the major fossil groups that can be used to date sediments and rocks in the time interval Late Mesozoic to Holocene. Altogether more than 3200 taxa are considered, almost all of which are illustrated and depicted on range charts, making the book a valuable work of reference in the earth sciences. For ease of reference by specialists interested in either calcareous or non-calcareous microfossils, the original work is now divided into two independent volumes. Volume I covers the calcareous microfossils and includes planktic foraminifers, calcareous nannofossils and calpionellids.

This comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge of the biostratigraphy of marine plankton is the work of an international team of eighteen authors. It covers all the major fossil groups that can be used to date sediments and rocks in the time interval Late Mesozoic to Holocene. Altogether more than 3200 taxa are considered, almost all of which are illustrated and depicted on range charts, making the book a valuable work of reference in the earth sciences. For ease of reference by specialists interested in either calcareous or non-calcareous microfossils, the original work is now divided into two independent volumes. Volume 2 describes siliceous and other non-calcareous microfossils, covering radiolaria, diatoms, silicoflagellates, dinoflagellates and ichthyoliths.

This is a reprint of the second edition of Dr Rayner's standard text on the stratigraphy and historical geology of the British Isles. The book is written for undergraduates and other readers who may have only a general acquaintance with the broad principles of geology. An introductory chapter reviews the basic principles of stratigraphy, geochronology and tectonics. The various geological systems found in the British Isles are then considered in turn. A valuable feature of the book is the extensive treatment of different regional areas within the discussion of a particular geological system. In the final chapter the author reviews briefly those major economic resources that are related to stratigraphy. Throughout the text care has been taken to introduce the plate tectonic interpretation of stratigraphic features. Much more is known about the neighbouring continental shelf and the geology of sea floors and this also is included in order to provide a comprehensive integrated account of the geological history of the British Isles.

The second edition of The Biomarker Guide is a fully updated and expanded version of this essential reference. Now in two volumes, it provides a comprehensive account of the role that biomarker technology plays both in petroleum exploration and in understanding Earth history and processes. Biomarkers and Isotopes in Petroleum Exploration and Earth History itemizes parameters used to genetically correlate petroleum and interpret thermal maturity and extent of biodegradation. It documents most known petroleum systems by geologic age throughout Earth history. The Biomarker Guide is an invaluable resource for geologists, petroleum geochemists, biogeochemists, and environmental scientists.

This book, based on papers from a symposium at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, shows the necessity of developing a new philosophy in place of the classical uniformitarianism based only on processes familiar in human experience.

Originally published in 1984.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

A clear understanding of the processes responsible for observed rock microstructures is essential for making reliable petrogenetic interpretations, including inferences made from chemical and isotopic analyses of minerals. This volume presents a comprehensive survey of rock microstructures, emphasising basic concepts and the latest methods, while highlighting potential pitfalls in the interpretation of the origin of rock microstructure. Richly illustrated with over 250 colour photographs, including more than 10 percent new photomicrographs and several mesoscopic images, it demonstrates the basic processes responsible for the wide variety of microstructures in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. This second edition includes extensive updates to the coverage of igneous rocks as well as recent ideas on physical processes in migmatites and partial melting of sedimentary rocks. This practical guide will continue to be an invaluable resource to advanced students and early-career researchers of mineralogy, petrology and structural geology, as well as professional geologists and material scientists.

This book, based on papers from a symposium at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, shows the necessity of developing a new philosophy in place of the classical uniformitarianism based only on processes familiar in human experience. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Am Beispiel von 25 bedeutenden Fossillagerstatten veranschaulicht das Buch eindrucksvoll die geologische, biologische und geographische Entwicklung des europaischen Kontinents. In funf Kapiteln werden alle geologischen Zeitalter vorgestellt. Der Band ist das Ergebnis einer internationalen Zusammenarbeit von mehr als 30 renommierten Palaontologen aus 13 verschiedenen europaischen Landern und wird gefoerdert von der Europaischen Palaontologischen Gesellschaft.

Das Wissen uber das Eiszeitalter verandert sich rasch. Neue Hinweise liefern u.a. Tiefseesedimente, die Isotopentechnik und die Erkundung heutiger kalter Gebiete der Erde, wobei Eiskernbohrungen in Groenland und der Antarktis fur die jungere Klimageschichte besonders wichtig sind. Eindrucksvoll sind die durch Tiefseebohrungen moeglich gewordenen UEbersichten, deren Auswertung erst am Anfang steht. Neben einer ausfuhrlichen Einfuhrung in die wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen der Eiszeitforschung sowie deren Standortbestimmung behandelt der Autor insbesondere lokale eiszeitliche Besonderheiten in Deutschland sowie Groessenanderungen, Lageanderungen und Fliessverhalten heutiger Gletscher. Die hier ausgewertete Revision der Tiefseedatierung ermoeglicht erstmals eine Einsicht in die realen Dimensionen quartarer Zeitabschnitte. Es ergibt sich eine fast luckenlose UEbersicht uber grosse und kleine, bekannte und unbekannte Glaziale und Interglaziale und deren Einfluss auf Landschaft und Lebensformen.

Das Buch dokumentiert umfassende interdisziplinare Forschungsarbeiten, die in einem reprasentativen Teil des Wattenmeers durchgefuhrt wurden. Die Transporte von Wasser und Partikeln wurden gemessen, geloeste und gasfoermige Substanzen erfasst und die Verdriftung von Organismen verfolgt. Die Untersuchungen fanden auf mehreren raumlichen und zeitlichen Skalen statt. Beleuchtet wird nicht nur der Beitrag der wichtigsten Lebensgemeinschaften und Arten zum Stoffaustausch, sondern auch ihre Rolle im Nahrungsnetz des OEkosystems. Die Bilanzierung der Im- und Exporte der untersuchten Wattenmeerbucht gibt Hinweise auf die langfristige Entwicklung. Daraus lassen sich oekologische Prognosen ableiten, die es ermoeglichen, zukunftige Umweltprobleme im Wattenmeer rechtzeitig zu erkennen und Schutzmassnahmen zu treffen.

Eines der Hauptziele geologischer Forschung ist die Rekonstruktion der Landschaften, die im Laufe der langen Erdgeschichte das Aussehen der ErdoberfHiche gepriigt haben. Eine soIche Zielsetzung umfa t die Be- schreibung der Lebewesen einsch1ie lich ihrer Lebensweisen wie auch der physikalisch-chemischen Verhaltnisse in ihrem Lebensraum. Innerhalb dieses Forschungsgebietes nimmt die Palaookologie einen bevorzugten Platz ein. Als Umweltwissenschaft untersucht sie die Wechselbeziehun- gen, die zwischen fossilen Organismen und Sediment bestanden, wobei sie sich auf so verschiedenartige Nachbardisziplinen wie Palaontologie, Petro- graphie, Sedimentologie, Geochemie u.a. stUtzt . . . In einer Zeit, in der sich die Grenzen zwischen den Wissenschaftsdisziplinen immer mehr ver- wischen, zeigt sich die Palaookologie nicht so sehr als eine eigenstandige Wissenschaft, sondem vielmehr als eine geistige Einstellung, als eine methodologische Art der Betrachtung. Das vorliegende Buch verfolgt den Zweck, verschiedene Wege aufzu- weisen, die der Geologe zur Gewinnung von Erkenntnissen Uber ehemalige Lebensraume beschreiten kann. Es will den Leser mit den Gedankenglin- gen bekanntmachen, wie sie in der Palaookologie Ublich sind, und ihm friihere Landschaften, die sich haufig von den heutigen unterscheiden, vor Augen fiihren. Der erste Teil des Buches enthlilt die Erkenntnisse, die aus Unter- suchungen an Fossilien und Sedimenten Uber die ehemaligen Sedimenta- tionsraume gewonnen wurden. Die Lebensweisen und Existenzbedingun- gen der Organismen werden naher behandelt. Sie ermoglichen es, die ver- schiedenen Lebensraume zu charakterisieren und die Entstehung von Fossillagerstatten verstandlich zu machen.

Das vorliegende Buch uber Karsthydrographie und physische Spelaologie ver- bindet zwei Sachgebiete, die bisher getrennt behandelt worden sind. Beide Wissensgebiete sind ihre eigenen Wege gegangen, weniger aus sachlicher Ver- schiedenheit, als wegen der unterschiedlichen Betrachtungsweise. In der Karst- hydrographie steht die Beschreibung unterirdischer Gewasser mit ihrem physi- kalischen und chemischen Verhalten im Mittelpunkt, in der physischen Spelao- logie die unterirdischen Hohlraume mit ihrem Inhalt, die meist durch eben diese Wasser geschaffen worden sind. Diese Hohlraume lassen sich nur mit Hilfe karsthydrographischer Kenntnisse richtig interpretieren, geben aber daftir Hin- weise auf das Verhalten der Karstgewasser. Karsthydrographie und physische Spelaologie sind somit zwei Seiten des unterirdischen Karstphanomens und sollten unter einem einheitlichen Blickwinkel betrachtet werden. Das Buch wendet sich an Geologen, Hydrogeologen, Geomorphologen, Geographen und Karstforscher, vor allem Spelaologen, sowie an alle Hoehlen- freunde, unter ihnen im besonderen die Laienforscher. Der Inhalt muss daher zwei Gruppen ansprechen, einerseits die akademisch Geschulten, seien es Hoch- schuldozenten, Hochschulabsolventen oder noch Studenten, die in der Regel ausreichende Grundlagen zum Verstandnis der theoretischen Ausfuhrungen aufweisen, andererseits die Laien, die eine erlebte Anschauung aus den Hoehlen mitbringen, doch haufJ.g nicht uber alle wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen zum Verstandnis der Phanomene verfugen. Deshalb mussten gelegentlich auch ein- facheren Problemen groesserer Raum gewahrt und nomenklatorische Fragen mit einbezogen werden.

Als urn die Mitte des vorigen Jahrhunderts die Wettervorhersage durch Ein- fUhrung der synoptischen Wetterkarte auf eine erfolgversprechende Grundlage gestellt wurde, sah sich die meteorologische Wissenschaft mit einer groBen Anzahl von Problemen konfrontiert, die es zu bewaltigen galt. Reute, rund hundert Jahre spater, konnen wir feststellen, daB viele der erwachsenen Aufgaben gelost werden konnten, daB aber viele noch der Losung harren. Dabei reicht das Spektrum der anstehenden Probleme von rein organisatorischen Fragen (Errichtung und MeB- Betreuung des synoptischen Beobachtungsnetzes) iiber Methoden der technik bis zu wissenschaftlich-theoretischen Untersuchungen, die als Grundlage der Wetterprognose dienen. Das vorliegende Buch befaBt sich nur mit dem letztgenannten Fragenkomplex. Der Wetterablauf wird als physikalischer ProzeB betrachtet, der sich aus einem Anfangszustand - dargestellt durch eine mit hinreichend vielen Wetterbeobach- tungen ausgestattete Wetterkarte - zu einem Endzustand entwickelt, den es mit theoretischen oder empirischen Methoden vorauszusagen gilt. Der physika- lische Endzustand ist durch die (prognostizierte) Feldverteilung verschiedener meteorologischer Elemente gegeben. Die sprachliche Formulierung der Wettervor- hersage stellt eine Interpretation solcher Vorhersagekarten dar. Bei dieser Vor- gangsweise solI ein Maximum an Objektivitat erreicht werden.

Seit zwanzig Jahren arbeiten Wissenschaftler durch Sammlung von Daten und Entwicklung komplexer Computermodelle an der Vorhersagemoeglichkeit der Klimaentwicklung. Das Buch fuhrt vor allem durch die Darstellung der Klimageschichte der Erde in verstandlicher Form in die Problematik ein. Viele Fragen, die sich mit der zukunftigen Klimaentwicklung befassen, kommen zur Sprache.