Introductory Oceanography - Hardcover

Thurman, Harold V.; Burton, Elizabeth A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0138570612 ISBN 13: 9780138570613

Publisher: Pearson, 2000

Synopsis

For introductory courses in Oceanography found in departments of geology or biology.

A popular introduction to the study of the world's oceans that provides a straightforward and comprehensive presentation of the subject. It covers fundamental topics such as the origins of marine life, the physical properties of the oceans, and the chemistry of seawater. New issues have been added to give students timely coverage of high interest topics, including “Global Warming and Sea Level Rise”, “Beaches or Bedrooms: The Dynamic Coastal Environment,” “Sharks,” and “Illegal Immigration: Ballast Water and Exotic Species.” The book approaches marine biology from an ecological perspective rather than a taxonomic one.

About this title

About the Author:

HAROLD V. THURMAN retired in May 1994, after 24 years of teaching in the Earth Sciences Department of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. Interest in geology led to a B.S. degree from Oklahoma A&M University, followed by seven years working as a petroleum geologist, mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. Here his interest in oceans developed, and he earned an M.A. degree from California State University at Los Angeles, then joined the Earth Sciences faculty at Mt. San Antonio College. Hal Thurman has also co-authored a marine biology textbook, written articles on the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans for the 1994 edition of World Book Encyclopedia, and served as a consultant on the National Geographic publication, Realms of the Sea. He still enjoys going to sea on vacations with his wife Iantha.

ELIZABETH A. BURTON received a bachelor's degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College, a master's in Marine Geology from the University of Miami, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis. Growing up in California, she developed an early affinity for the oceans, but her interest in scientific study of the oceans did not take root until a college field trip to study the reefs and associated marine environments of the Bahamas and Florida Keys. She pursued research in this area for both her graduate degrees and since 1988, while serving as a professor of Geology at Northern Illinois University.

Research and a quest for fun have taken her on diving trips throughout the Caribbean but have also made her eyewitness to the devastation that anthropogenic changes in ocean chemistry, including sewage outfall, soil runoff, and perhaps the rise in atmospheric CO2, have caused to shallow marine environments Dr. Burton's teaching and research evolved away from an emphasis on natural geologic phenomena toward integration and understanding of these anthropogenic changes. She and her students have since investigated a diversity of environmental issues, including landfill gas emissions, fertilizer runoff, and the integrity of radioactive waste disposal sites. Bringing these real-world applications into the classroom has made teaching science both more fun and more relevant.

In a quest to bridge the gap further, Dr. Burton took a hiatus from teaching in 1998 in order to pursue environmental and geochemical research at Chevron. She has published over 30 scientific papers, serves as an Associate Editor for the Geological Society of America Bulletin, is a licensed professional geologist, and a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the American Chemical Society.

From the Back Cover:

New to this edition, the Environmental Issues in Oceanography projects are designed to develop and refine critical-thinking skills and an understanding of the core topics in oceanography through analyzing effects of common human interaction with our marine environment. The Issues include:

• Coastal Population Growth: A Global Ecosystem at Risk
• Coral Rocks! The Value of the World's Coral Reefs
• Global Warming and Sea Level Rise
• Human Impacts on Estuaries
• Ballast Water and Exotic Species
• Sharks
• Catch of the Day: Chilean Sea Bass
• Beaches or Bedrooms? The Dynamic Coastal Environment
• PCBs in Seawater
• Greenhouse Gases, Global CO2 Emissions, and Global Warming
• Lifestyles of the Large and Blubbery: The Blue Whale
• Dolphin-Safe Tuna: Oxymoron

The Issues are introduced in the text and are found in their entirety on the Introductory Oceanography companion Website.

HTTP://WWW.PRENHALL.COM/THURMAN

in addition to the Issues projects, the text-specific Website contains practice quizzes with extensive feedback for both correct and incorrect answers, and chapter-specific links to the best oceanography sites on the Internet.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pearson
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0138570612
• ISBN 13: 9780138570613
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 554