A Textbook of Geology (Classic Reprint)

Master geology fundamentals with a thorough guide to rocks, minerals, and Earth history.

This classic text provides a detailed survey of how rocks form, how minerals are classified, and how the Earth's layers shape the landscape. It blends clear explanations with practical frameworks that help readers grasp the science of geology.

The book explains core topics such as the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, and then dives into rock types, rock structures, and methods of describing and classifying rocks. It covers the igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes that shape our planet, including how crystals form, how rocks are tested for classification, and how different rock textures reflect their origins. Practical discussions of mineral groups, crystallization order, and the threefold system of igneous rocks (plutonic, hypabyssal, volcanic) provide a solid foundation for study and fieldwork.

• Learn how minerals are grouped and identified, including feldspars, quartz, micas, pyroxenes, and more.
• Understand the practical criteria used to distinguish intrusive from extrusive rocks and to classify igneous rocks by composition.
• Explore rock structures, layering, faults, folds, and other features critical to geological interpretation.
• See how stratigraphy, denudation, and depositional processes fit into the bigger picture of Earth's history.

Ideal for readers of geology who want a solid, framework-based introduction that remains grounded in observable concepts and terminology.