Contents

• About BCcampus Open Education
• Exceptions to the CC BY Licence
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Chapter 1 Introduction to Geology
• 1.1 What is Geology?
• 1.2 Why Study Earth?
• 1.3 What Do Geologists Do?
• 1.4 Minerals and Rocks
• 1.5 Fundamentals of Plate Tectonics
• 1.6 Geological Time
• Summary
• Chapter 2 Minerals
• 2.1 Electrons, Protons, Neutrons, and Atoms
• 2.2 Bonding and Lattices
• 2.3 Mineral Groups
• 2.4 Silicate Minerals
• 2.5 Formation of Minerals
• 2.6 Mineral Properties
• Summary
• Chapter 3 Intrusive Igneous Rocks
• 3.1 The Rock Cycle
• 3.2 Magma and Magma Formation
• 3.3 Crystallization of Magma
• 3.4 Classification of Igneous Rock
• 3.5 Intrusive Igneous Bodies
• Summary
• Chapter 4 Volcanism
• 4.1 Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
• 4.2 Magma Composition and Eruption Style
• 4.3 Types of Volcanoes
• 4.4 Volcanic Hazards
• 4.5 Monitoring Volcanoes and Predicting Eruptions
• 4.6 Volcanoes in British Columbia
• Summary
• Chapter 5 Weathering and Soil
• 5.1 Mechanical Weathering
• 5.2 Chemical Weathering
• 5.3 The Products of Weathering and Erosion
• 5.4 Weathering and the Formation of Soil
• 5.5 The Soils of Canada
• 5.6 Weathering and Climate Change
• Summary
• Chapter 6 Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks
• 6.1 Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
• 6.2 Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
• 6.3 Depositional Environments and Sedimentary Basins
• 6.4 Sedimentary Structures and Fossils
• 6.5 Groups, Formations, and Members
• Summary
• Chapter 7 Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks
• 7.1 Controls Over Metamorphic Processes
• 7.2 Classification of Metamorphic Rocks
• 7.3 Plate Tectonics and Metamorphism
• 7.4 Regional Metamorphism
• 7.5 Contact Metamorphism and Hydrothermal Processes
• Summary
• Review of Minerals and Rocks Mineral and rock review Steven Earle
• Chapter 8 Measuring Geological Time
• 8.1 The Geological Time Scale
• 8.2 Relative Dating Methods
• 8.3 Dating Rocks Using Fossils
• 8.4 Isotopic Dating Methods
• 8.5 Other Dating Methods
• 8.6 Understanding Geological Time
• Summary
• Chapter 9 Earth’s Interior
• 9.1 Understanding Earth Through Seismology
• 9.2 The Temperature of Earth’s Interior
• 9.3 Earth’s Magnetic Field
• 9.4 Isostasy
• Summary
• Chapter 10 Plate Tectonics
• 10.1 Alfred Wegener: The Father of Plate Tectonics
• 10.2 Global Geological Models of the Early 20th Century
• 10.3 Geological Renaissance of the Mid-20th Century
• 10.4 Plate, Plate Motions, and Plate Boundary Processes
• 10.5 Mechanisms for Plate Motion
• Summary
• Chapter 11 Earthquakes
• 11.1 What is an Earthquake?
• 11.2 Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
• 11.3 Measuring Earthquakes
• 11.4 The Impacts of Earthquakes
• 11.5 Forecasting Earthquakes and Minimizing Damage and Casualties
• Summary
• Chapter 12 Geological Structures
• 12.1 Stress and Strain
• 12.2 Folding
• 12.3 Fracturing and Faulting
• 12.4 Measuring Geological Structures
• Summary
• Chapter 13 Streams and Floods
• 13.1 The Hydrological Cycle
• 13.2 Drainage Basins
• 13.3 Stream Erosion and Deposition
• 13.4 Stream Types
• 13.5 Flooding
• Summary
• Chapter 14 Groundwater
• 14.1 Groundwater and Aquifers
• 14.2 Groundwater Flow
• 14.3 Groundwater Extraction
• 14.4 Groundwater Quality
• Summary
• Chapter 15 Mass Wasting
• 15.1 Factors That Control Slope Stability
• 15.2 Classification of Mass Wasting
• 15.3 Preventing, Delaying, Monitoring, and Mitigating Mass Wasting
• Summary
• Chapter 16 Glaciation
• 16.1 Glacial Periods in Earth’s History
• 16.2 How Glaciers Work
• 16.3 Glacial Erosion
• 16.4 Glacial Deposition
• Summary
• Chapter 17 Shorelines
• 17.1 Waves
• 17.2 Landforms and Coastal Erosion
• 17.3 Landforms and Coastal Deposition
• 17.4 Sea-Level Change
• 17.5 Human Interference with Shorelines
• Summary
• Chapter 18 Geology of the Oceans
• 18.1 The Topography of the Sea Floor
• 18.2 The Geology of the Oceanic Crust
• 18.3 Sea-Floor Sediments
• 18.4 Ocean Water
• Summary
• Chapter 19 Climate Change
• 19.1 What Makes the Climate Change?
• 19.2 Anthropogenic Climate Change
• 19.3 Implications of Climate Change
• Summary
• Chapter 20 Geological Resources
• 20.1 Metal Deposits
• 20.2 Industrial Materials
• 20.3 Fossil Fuels
• 20.4 Diamonds
• Summary
• Chapter 21 Geological History of Western Canada
• 21.1 Geological History of Canada
• 21.2 Western Canada during the Precambrian
• 21.3 Western Canada during the Paleozoic
• 21.4 Western Canada during the Mesozoic
• 21.5 Western Canada During the Cenozoic
• Summary
• Chapter 22 The Origin of Earth and the Solar System
• 22.1 Starting with a Big Bang Karla Panchuk
• 22.2 Forming Planets from the Remnants of Exploding Stars Karla Panchuk
• 22.3 How to Build a Solar System Karla Panchuk
• 22.4 Earth’s First 2 Billion Years Karla Panchuk
• 22.5 Are There Other Earths? Karla Panchuk
• Summary Karla Panchuk
• Glossary
• About the Author
• Appendix 1: List of Geologically Important Elements and the Periodic Table
• Appendix 2: Answers to Review Questions
• Appendix 3: Answers to Exercises
• Links for Print Edition
• Versioning History