Breakthroughs in Geology

Park Graham

Description

Geological research does not flow steadily onwards by means of small incremental advances but can be better understood as a series of significant discoveries or changes in interpretation that transformed the way we understand the Earth. Each of these changes or new ideas encouraged a burst of activity as researchers attempted to apply them more widely in order to test their universality, and thereby their validity as a scientific theory.Probably the best example of such a transformative idea is Plate Tectonics, which, although questioned at the time it was introduced, is now universally accepted as a general principleA large number of the subsequent advances in geological understanding have been based upon this breakthrough. Each of the 12 chapters in this book represents a new idea or discovery, which is discussed in its historical context. In each case the salient features of these ideas are described, together with some biographical details of the individual scientists credited with them but also mentioning others whose role in the generation of the idea is perhaps not so obvious.Of instant appeal to geologists and other earth scientists interested in how their science evolved over time by means of a number of revolutionary ideas, this book also serves as a paradigm for the history of science across many disciplines.

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques
• Earth science

Informations

• Publié par: Dunedin Academic Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781780466149
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Breakthroughs in Geology
Ideas that transformed earth science
Graham Park
Dedication
To my good friend and colleague, the late Professor John Tarney, with whom I have had so many rewarding discussions over a period of five decades, and who sadly passed away during the preparation of this book.
Contents
Sourced illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
1 Uniformitarianism: the first breakthrough
2 Evolution and the Origin of Species
3 Continental drift
4 Mantle convection: a mechanism for continental drift?
5 Deformation ellipsoid to ductile shear zone
6 Plate tectonics
7 Ophiolites: clues to the ocean crust and mantle
8 Fault system kinematics
9 Back-arc basins and trench roll-back
10 Hot-spots and mantle plumes
11 Sequence stratigraphy
12 Gravity spreading
Appendix
Glossary
References
Index
Sourced illustrations
The following illustrations are reproduced by permission
Shutterstock : figures 1.1A , 1.1B , 1.2 , 1.3 , 1.4 , 2.1 , 2.2A , 2.2B , 2.3 , 2.5 , 2.7 , 3.8 , 7.1A , 7.1B , 7.1C , 7.5 .
Figure 1.4 , 12.2 IPR/73-34C British Geological Survey ©NERC. All rights reserved.
Figure 2.6 Unknown, Hornet Magazine, via University College, London, digital (Public Domain).
Figure 3.1 Miyashiro, A., Aki, K. Şengör, A.M.C. (1979) Orogeny, Chichester, John Wiley; Figure 1.1 .
Figure 3.2 , 3.9 Wegener, A. (1924) The Origin of Continents and Oceans . London, Methuen Co.
Figure 3.11 . Du Toit, A. (1937) Our Wandering Continents. An Hypothesis of Continental Drifting . London, Oliver Boyd.
Figure 5.1 © Jim Wark.
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Figure 11.7 Mitchum, R.M., Jr., Vail, P.R. and Sangree, J.B. (1977) Seismic stratigraphy and global changes of sea level, Part 6: stratigraphic interpretation of seismic reflection patterns. In Payton, C.E. (ed.) Seismic stratigraphy – applications to hydrocarbon exploration . American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 26, Tulsa, Oklahama, 117–133.
Figure 11.12 Vail, P.R., Mitchum, R.M., Jr., and Thompson, S., III (1977) Seismic stratigraphy and global changes of sea level, Part 4: global cycles of relative changes of sea level. In Payton, C.E. (ed.) Seismic stratigraphy – applications to hydrocarbon exploration . American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 26, Tulsa, Oklahama, 81–97.
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Figure 8.4 Gwinn, V.E. (1964) Thin-skinned tectonics in the Plateau and Northwestern Valley and Ridge Provinces of the Central Appalachians. Geological Society of America, Bulletin 75, 863–900.
Figure 8.5 , 8.7 , 8.8 Bally, A.W., Gordy, P.L. and Stewart, G.A. (1966) Structure, seismic data and orogenic evolution of the southern Canadian Rockies. Canadian Association of Petroleum Geologists, Bulletin 14, 337–381.
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Figure 9.5 Karig, D.E. (1971