Visual Guide to Rocks and Fossils - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 027642932X ISBN 13: 9780276429323

Publisher: Readers Digest

Synopsis

Uncover the intriguing world beneath our feet

Rocks and Fossils reveal the state of the planet now and what the future may bring, including clues about the shifting, changing nature of the continents, mountain ranges, oceans, and islands.

Rocks and Fossils is a beautifully illustrated book that brings life to the seemingly timeless landscape. It explains geological concepts in relevant and familiar terms. Lively illustrations reveal a vast, hidden world via cross-sections and cutaways with explanatory captions.

The book explores the internal engine of our planet -- the liquid iron core unique among terrestrial planets, which is the catalyst for the creation and destruction of land, mountain, and oceans.

Rocks and Fossils is organized in six main sections:

• The Dynamic Earth: the ever-changing nature of the world
• Ancient Worlds: life from the Precambrian era to the age of humans
• Key Features: how rocks and fossils form
• Rocks and Fossils in the Landscape: where to find fossils
• Minerals: How they form and why some are precious
• Fossils: signs of life from single-cell organisms to dinosaurs.

Rocks and Fossils explains the fossil record to show how prehistoric lifeforms are linked to plants and animals still on Earth. Why did some species survive and others perish? What does the future hold?

About this title

About the Author

Robert R. Coenraads is a leading gemologist, geologist and geophysicist. He travels the remotest regions of the globe to discover and collect exceptional specimens for scientific research. As a research associate of the Australian Museum, he leads rockhunting expeditions and directs exploration projects for precious gemstones and minerals.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

The ground beneath us is made up of rocks, some of which extend extraordinary depths into Earth. Venture deep enough and they are molten, moving, plastic-like substances. Rocks are not static and inert. They are constantly changing, shifting and rearranging their form and location. They can be melted, deposited, eroded and squeezed into new forms. These changes occur over vast periods of time. The pages of Earth's history are written in its rocks, minerals and fossils. Rocks and minerals provide evidence of events that took place in the distant past. They offer clues about the shifting, changing nature of the continents, mountain ranges, oceans and islands. They help us understand what Earth's climate was like billions of years ago, what elements the atmosphere contained, and how life may have evolved.

When an animal or plant dies and its remains leave an impression in rock, the resulting fossil is a testament to life's history and its changing, evolving nature. Fossils reveal Earth's past lifeforms, among them long-extinct beasts, bizarre, alien-like beings and delicate marine creatures.

Rocks are made up of minerals. It is among the minerals that the exquisite gemstones and ornamental stones are found. Sparkling diamonds, vivid green emeralds, multicolored tourmalines, clear crystal quartz and lacy agates are all minerals.

Take a journey into Earth's history to discover what shaped its

Edition details

• Publisher: Readers Digest
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 027642932X
• ISBN 13: 9780276429323
• Binding: Hardcover