Soil science is perhaps one of the oldest practical sciences, having been of concern to man probably from the time he progressed from a strictly preda tory life to one in which agriculture became important. In view of the anti quity of concern with the subject, it is perhaps surprising that it can be approached from a fresh viewpoint, as is done in this book. Because soil science is an applied science, it is not surprising that the approach is usually descriptive, rather than imaginative. For agriculturalists and other land users, perhaps the most important part of soil science is the description of soils and the capacities of such soils to maintain crops, and this is reflected by the fact that soil science is usually treated ima highly descriptive manner, with soil classification being one of the main efforts. The treatment of the subject from a geological point of view, with considerable emphasis on the evolution of soils and the reasons governing their composition and form, makes this a highly readable book. Books on soil science are timely, with present-day concern with such major problems as the pollution of our environment and the possibility of overreaching our capacity for producing food for an expanding population.

Rock Weathering and Landform Evolution brings together a series of important studies on rock weathering by leading researchers, and illustrates the diversity of approaches and techniques that are currently being used by geomorphologists to study weathering processes and responses. The book commences with a number of research studies and review chapters on weathering processes and weathered products. This is followed by several discussions of the weathering of cut or dressed rock in urban and coastal environments. Contributors then examine the application of weathering and weathering rates to the dating of deposits or rock surfaces. The final section of the book comprises studies of the relationship between weathering and landforms in a variety of climatic environments. The contributions included in this book cover a wide range of topics and demonstrate the many advances that are being made by researchers investigating rock weathering. Some of the studies deal with state-of-the-art technology, others the very traditional geomorphological skills of observation and deductive reasoning, backed up as necessary by statistical analysis. This volume is the first collection of papers on weathering published for many years, and provides a wealth of information not just to geomorphologists but also to geologists, engineers, architects and archaeologists.

Elements move through Earth's critical zone along interconnected pathways that are strongly influenced by fluctuations in water and energy. The biogeochemical cycling of elements is inextricably linked to changes in climate and ecological disturbances, both natural and man-made. Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact examines the influences and effects of biogeochemical elemental cycles in different ecosystems in the critical zone. Volume highlights include: Impact of global change on the biogeochemical functioning of diverse ecosystems Biological drivers of soil, rock, and mineral weathering Natural elemental sources for improving sustainability of ecosystems Links between natural ecosystems and managed agricultural systems Non-carbon elemental cycles affected by climate change Subsystems particularly vulnerable to global change The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Find out more about this book from this Q&A with the Author. Book Review: http://www.elementsmagazine.org/archives/e16_6/e16_6_dep_bookreview.pdf

This is a discount Black and white version. Some images may be unclear, please see BCCampus website for the digital version.This book was born out of a 2014 meeting of earth science educators representing most of the universities and colleges in British Columbia, and nurtured by a widely shared frustration that many students are not thriving in courses because textbooks have become too expensive for them to buy. But the real inspiration comes from a fascination for the spectacular geology of western Canada and the many decades that the author spent exploring this region along with colleagues, students, family, and friends. My goal has been to provide an accessible and comprehensive guide to the important topics of geology, richly illustrated with examples from western Canada. Although this text is intended to complement a typical first-year course in physical geology, its contents could be applied to numerous other related courses.