Beneath our Feet: The Rocks of Planet Earth

How much do you know about the rocks beneath your feet--the basic materials of our planet? Their variety and beauty is astounding, especially when viewed through the microscope, where crystals of different minerals and in various arrangements are revealed in exquisite detail. While surface rocks seem so solid, they flow deep inside the earth, and, in this spectacular book, you'll see what rocks that have flowed actually look like. Eminent geologist Ron Vernon reveals the incredible beauty and variety of earth rocks, both under and on the surface. Through breathtaking photographs he captures rocks formed by heating and melting inside the earth, rocks ejected from volcanoes, rocks formed by erosion on the earth's surface, and extraterrestrial rocks that have crashed into our planet. These stunning images are accompanied by clear, nontechnical explanations of the processes underlying the creation of rocks and minerals. No other current book so cogently explains the nature and origin of rocks for nonscientists. Beneath Our Feet: The Rocks of Planet Earth is destined to be a must-have purchase for a wide-ranging audience from professional scientists to amateur rock collectors--indeed anyone interested in natural history.

Vernon, an Australian university professor, encourages readers to take a closer look at the "beautiful and variable" yet routinely overlooked rocks that surround us. In a volume as rich in photographs as it is in lucent commentary, Vernon eschews technical terms as he conducts a brisk but solidly educational discussion of the earth's amazing dynamism. His clear explanation of how the earth's mantle and crust maintain a state of flow, or constant slow motion, is effectively illustrated with striking photographs of folded rock formations in Antarctica and Australia, images that are then compared to dazzling microscopic views of the structures of various rocks. Vernon explicates the mechanics and consequences of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and he explains how water and glacial ice shape rock and how limestone, fossils, and diamonds are formed. Finally, an appreciation of meteorites rounds out this laudable effort to train readers' eyes to see rocks not as ordinary but as the splendid products of our "hot" planet's vigor. Donna Seaman
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