Product Description

Britain, Ireland and their surrounding areas have a remarkably varied geology for so small a fragment of continental crust. This region contains a fine rock record from all the geological periods from Quaternary back to Cambrian, and a less continuous but still impressive catalogue of events back through nearly 2500 million years of Precambrian time. This protracted geological history would have been interesting enough to reconstruct if it had been played out on relatively stable continental crust. However, Britain and Ireland have developed instead at a tectonic crossroads, on crust traversed intermittently by subduction zones and volcanic arcs, continental rifts and mountain belts. The resulting complexity makes the geological history of this region at once fascinating and perplexing.

Geological History of Britain and Ireland tells the geological story of the region at a level accessible to undergraduate geologists, as well as to postgraduates, professionals or informed amateurs. The book takes a multi–disciplinary rather than a purely stratigraphical approach, and aims to bring to life the processes behind the catalogue of historical events. Full coverage is given to the rich Precambrian and Early Palaeozoic history, as well as to later events more relevant to hydrocarbon exploration. The book is profusely illustrated and contains guides to further reading and full references to data sources, making it an essential starting point for more detailed studies of the regional geology.

• All British Earth science undergraduates will be required to spend some time studying British Geological History, and this book will be the only one available to British undergraduates
• The book takes a process–based approach, rather than simply describing the regional stratigraphy
• Lavishly illustrated with high–quality diagrams

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126894 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
"Has anything new come out of the geology of Britain and Ireland in the last 20 years since Roger Anderton and his co–authors published their masterly Dynamic Stratigraphy of the British Isles? Do we need a new text book on this topic? Is this it? Yes. Yes. Yes." David Macdonald, Journal of Sedimentary Research

"This is an excellent book, with few vices and many virtues. It could form the basis of an excellent course in historical geology, and is outstanding value for impoverished undergraduates. If you are un–impoverished, buy it anyway and see what I mean about Britain and Ireland as a candidate type area for world geology."

From the Back Cover
Britain, Ireland and their surrounding areas have a remarkably varied geology for so small a fragment of continental crust. This region contains a fine rock record from all the geological periods from Quaternary back to Cambrian, and a less continuous but still impressive catalogue of events back through nearly 2500 million years of Precambrian time. This protracted geological history would have been interesting enough to reconstruct if it had been played out on relatively stable continental crust. However, Britain and Ireland have developed instead at a tectonic crossroads, on crust traversed intermittently by subduction zones and volcanic arcs, continental rifts and mountain belts. The resulting complexity makes the geological history of this region at once fascinating and perplexing.

Geological History of Britain and Ireland tells the geological story of the region at a level accessible to undergraduate geologists, as well as to postgraduates, professionals, or informed amateurs. The book takes a multi–disciplinary rather than a purely stratigraphical approach, and aims to bring to life the processes behind the catalogue of historical events. Full coverage is given to the rich Precambrian and Early Palaeozoic history, as well as to later events more relevant to hydrocarbon exploration. The book is profusely illustrated and contains guides to further reading and full references to data sources, making it an essential starting point for more detailed studies of the regional geology.

Customer Reviews

A book to help you pass those university exams.
This book covers the stratigraphy in the rocks around Britain and Ireland. It goes through each time period and simply but effectivly explains the various rocks present and how we can tell the palaeoenvironment from this. This is an essential textbook for people studying geology at university.