Geological Society of America
Cenozoic volcanism in the Mediterranean area.
The International Geological Congress held a session on the topic in Florence, Italy during August 2004, and the 16 studies here are expanded from a selection of presentations there. Among the topics are the petrology and volcanology of Komolos and Polyegos volcanoes within the context of the South Aegean arc, intra-plate lithospheric and sub-lithospheric components in the Adriatic domain, and the geochemical peculiarity of the Plio-Quaternary volcanic rocks of Sardinia in the circum-Mediterranean area. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Earth and mind; how geologists think and learn about the earth.
Manduca (Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College) and Mogk (earth sciences, Montana State U.) compile 13 chapters on the thinking of geoscientists and how it is different than related disciplines. First, senior geoscientists from the National Academy of Sciences describe how and why they do research, followed by educators and cognitive scientists who discuss the nature of geoscience thought and its relationship to fundamental cognitive processes. The last part includes chapters on how geoscience thinking can improve students' learning. The book, aimed at geoscientists, educators, and cognitive scientists, is an outgrowth of a workshop, Bringing Research on Learning to the Geosciences, followed by a Pardee Symposium at the 2002 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting titled "Toward a Better Understanding of the Complicated Earth: Insights from Geologic Research, Education, and Cognitive Science." No index is included. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Geological studies in the Klamath Mountains Province, California and Oregon; a volume in honor of William P. Irwin. (CD-ROM included)
Snoke (geology and geophysics, U. of Wyoming, Laramie) and Barnes (geosciences, Texas Tech U., Lubbock) have assembled a substantial volume of 23 articles to honor geologist Irwin, of the U.S. Geological Service, who has specialized in the tectonic evolution of the Klamath Mountains. The articles discuss the contributors' research on geologic formations in or related to the Klamath Mountains. The articles are lengthy, well illustrated in b&w and color, and conclude with full bibliography. Additional images and an exhaustive bibliography are provided on the CD-ROM. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
In situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides and quantification of geological processes.
Eight papers discuss specific aspects of using cosmogenic nuclides in earth sciences. They cover extending geographical and temporal applications, glacial geology, active tectonics in Asia, and landscape evolution. The material could be useful to researchers already using cosmogenic nuclides, as those whose research might benefit from analyzing them but have little knowledge of the technique. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The origins of geology in Italy.
Vai (earth sciences and geology, U. of Bologna, Italy) and Caldwell (earth sciences, U. of Western Ontario, Canada) compile 13 papers drawn from a special session, "Origins of Geology in Italy" at the 32nd International Geological Congress in 2004 in Florence, Italy. Scholars from around the world describe the contributions of Italian or foreign naturalists in Italy to philosophy and natural science during the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries. Topics include gemology, the birth of mineralogical sciences, connections to Florentine artists, the Earth's history, and the work and ideas of those such as Gregory Watt, Giovan Battista Brocchi, Leopoldo Pilla, Ulisse Aldrovandi, Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Mattia Damiani, Giovanni Arduino, and others. Papers are arranged in chronological order by historical period. There is no index. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Paleoenvironmental record and applications of calcretes and palustrine carbonates.
The two materials, components of ancient soils, can reveal much about the evolution of the landscape, both long ago and between then and now. Geologists explore calcretes and palustrine carbonates in a wide array of environmental settings and ages of deposits where they occur, and demonstrate the information they can provide about climate, sedimentation, erosion, and other matters. Six of the 14 papers are from The International Geological Congress held in Florence in August 2004; the high percentage of case studies from southern Europe suggests the Italian rather than Floridian Florence. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Styles of continental contraction.
When crustal plates collide on land, the type of deformation of the lithosphere is generally divided into thin-skinned and thick-skinned, but within these broad categories, a wide range of phenomena can be observed. Mostly Italian geologists survey some of these styles. Their topics include the structural pattern of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in the Dezful Embayment in southwestern Iran, the role of repeated gravitational collapse in Appalachian orogenesis, and styles of basement involvement in the Moine Thrust Belt in northwestern Scotland. There is no index. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Triassic evolution of the Yangtze platform in Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.
The platform in what is now southern China was once one of Earth's very large and very persistent regions of shallow-water deposition, and geologists describe the record of changes in the rock formation from the Upper Permian through the Uppermost Triassic. The Triassic of the Yangtze block is not only the thickest sedimentary system, but also one of the few containing either potential source rock or associated potential reservoir. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Volcanic hazards in Central America.
When foreign geologists go to Central America, the second most volcanically active region on the planet after Indonesia, they are primarily interested in researching basic science. The few local geologists, on the other hand, are devoted to hazard mitigation, and do not have much patience with gringo abstractions. The 14 papers here are designed to consider the goals of both foreign and local scientists and to highlight areas where they can help each other. The topics include insights into regional hydrothermal activity and implications for volcano monitoring of the chemistry of spring waters and fumarolic gases encircling Santa Mariķa volcano in Guatemala, and the eruptive history of Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano and potential hazards from future eruptions. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
