Rocks and Fossils, a Visual Guide - Hardcover

Coenraads, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 027642932X ISBN 13: 9780276429323

Publisher: Reader's Digest, 2004

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

Synopsis

"Rocks & Fossils: A Visual Guide" reveals how the study of rocks and minerals enables us to uncover many of the extraordinary events that have taken place in Earth's 4,600 million-year history, a story that continues to unfold as continents collide and pull apart, and new fossil finds are made. In more than 300 pages, this guide to rocks and fossils provides up-to-the-minute information in a dynamic and visual style that will enthrall and entice readers. This book takes you on an incredible journey to the most remarkable geological and paleontological sites in the world. You'll discover how by looking at fossils we can work out what organisms were alive at various points in history. You'll find out which fossil families have survived to the present day and in what form, and you'll learn about the critical role that Earth's resources play in our daily lives. There's also information on how to start your own rock and fossil collections, with advice on how to identify species, and how best to display and care for them.

The spreads are a vibrant combination of new illustrations supplemented with informative labels; rarely seen photographs with detailed captions; intriguing infographics; and authoritative and accessible text.

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.

Edition details

• Publisher: Reader's Digest
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 027642932X
• ISBN 13: 9780276429323
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304