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Search - Sand (Scientific American Library)

Sand - Scientific American Library
Author: Raymond Siever

The poet William Blake said we could "see a World in a Grain of Sand." He was right-although most of us think of sand simply as a construction material, an abrasive, the source of glass(and silicon chips), and, of course, the stuff of which beaches and deserts are made. — Now, in 'Sand', the distinguished geologist Raymond Siever allows us to loo... more »k with new eyes at something we've seen a thousand times before. And what he reveals in each grain of sand is a silent record of former mountains, rivers, earthquakes, and glaciers... an archive of the Earth's surface and the physical and chemical forces that have shaped it over millions of years. We learn that almost all the geology of the Earth's surface and much of its interior structure and dynamics are involved in the formation of sand. Sand can tell us much about the history of climate and erosion, of the birth of mountains and the shift of continents, of the movement of rivers and winds, of the flow of currents in the ocean depths.

Aided by an extensive range of photographs and illustrations, the author first shows how the various properties of sand -- such as the shape of its grains, its chemical-mineral composition, and its radioactive age -- and its location in the Earth's crust are powerful diagnostic clues in understanding the dynamics of the Earth's surface. We then see how sand is made by the weathering and decay of igneous rocks and how its character changes during transport by water, air, and glacial ice. In the course of the author's narrative, we'll meet the men and women who made major advances in our present understanding of these geological processes.

Raymond Siever also shows us how sandstones -- ancient rocks formed millions of years ago in deserts, on beaches, along rivers, or under ocean waves -- can help us reconstruct the plate tectonics of ancient times and tell us of long-vanished mountain ranges. They even allow us to speculate about what may be in store for our planet in the future.

'Sand' offers us a keener appreciation of one of our most widespread and overlooked resources. Indeed, we may never look at a desert dune or a river bank in quite the same way again. And perhaps the next time we shake sand from our shoes after a day at the beach, we'll stop to ponder the wonderful archive of Earth history that is contained in each tiny grain.

ISBN-13: 9780716750215
ISBN-10: 071675021X
Publication Date: 8/1988
Pages: 237
Rating:

Currently 5/5 Stars.

5 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: W H Freeman & Co (Sd)
Book Type: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Genres:

Science & Math >> Earth Sciences >> Prospecting & Mining
Science & Math >> General
Science & Math >> Nature & Ecology >> Natural Resources >> General
Science & Math >> Agricultural Sciences >> Soil Science
Outdoors & Nature >> Natural Resources

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