The Key to Earth History: An Introduction to Stratigraphy

The Key to Earth History introduces students to the basic toolsused by geologists to reconstruct the Earth's history, and showshow these tools can be used to chart the pattern of globalenvironmental change since the formation of the Earth some 4600million years ago. It tells a story of mountain building, climatechange and of the evolution of life, and uses the North Atlanticregion (Europe and North America) as a study area to illustratethis story.Divided into two parts, the book shows how stratigraphy is the keyto understanding the history of the Earth. The first part examinesthe basic stratigraphical methods used to establish, date andinterpret the rock record as the product of a series of eventswhithin Earth history. The second part presents the resultsobtained by geologists, who have used these stratigraphical toolsto reconstruct the pattern of global environmental change throughgeological time and focuses on the geological evolution of theNorth Atlantic region. The Key to Earth History is essentialreading for geologists, geographers and environmental scientists,as well as to all those interested in the story of theplanet.'The authors provide no one with an alibi for bad stratigraphicteaching!'Geoscientist'The aims of this introductory textbook are to explain the processand pattern of Earth history, to generate interest and enthusiasm,to make stratigraphy fun and exciting! These aims are admirablyachieved.'The Holocene'This is a great little book! I found that, not only was everythingcovered, but that it was covered in a refreshing, readable,no-nonsense fashion.'Earth Science Reviews'The Key to Earth History really should be compulsory reading forall ... geology students.'Geologie