Geology Today: Understanding Our Planet

This text provides an introduction to the six main areas of physical geography. It uses an earth systems approach to discuss the planet as a whole, plate tectonics, rocks and rock formation, surface processes, oceans/atmospheres, and resources. The study is divided into five parts, covering internal processes and plate tectonics early; each of the three middle parts highlights a cycle (plate tectonics, the rock cycle, hydrologic cycle) and places it into context of the other two cycles. It also contains a brief history of the geologic theories about continental drift, and the observations that ultimately led to the development of the theory of plate tectonics.