The Encyclopedia of the Solid Earth Sciences

Book excerpt: From AMETHYST to ARTESIAN SPRING, from COAL GAS to CONTINENTAL DRIFT, from SEISMOGRAM to STROMATOLITE, the Encylopedia of the Solid Earth Sciences provides a comprehensive modern reference text for all the subdisciplines of the Earth Sciences. The Encyclopedia is primarily intended for professional earth scientists and those specializing in related subjects. However, it will also provide an important reference for students of the Earth Sciences and those needing information on terms in current usage. The book contains three main styles of entry: articles up to 1500 words on major topics such as plate tectonics, standard entries of up to a couple of hundred words on topics such as groups of minerals,and brief definitions of, for instance, individual minerals.