This book documents the rich and spectacular heritage of the Australian continent over the last 4400 million years. Now in its third edition, The Geology of Australia provides a comprehensive overview of Australia's geology, landscapes and Earth resources. Beginning with the Precambrian rocks that hold clues to the origins of life and the development of an oxygenated atmosphere, it goes on to cover the warm seas, volcanism and episodes of mountain building that formed the eastern third of the Australian continent. This illuminating history details the breakup of the supercontinents Rodinia and Gondwana, the times of previous glaciations, the development of climates and landscapes in modern Australia, and the creation of the continental shelves and coastlines. This third edition features two new chapters on geological time and Paleozoic orogenic rock systems and mountain building, and new and updated illustrations and full-colour images.

This book provides a vivid account of the evolution of the Australian continent over the last 4400 million years.

"Shaping a nation : a geology of Australia is the story of Australia's geological evolution as seen through the lens of human impacts, illustrating both the challenges and opportunities presented by Australia's rich geological heritage" -- Dustjacket blurb.

Issues for 1901/07-1901/20 include corrected statistics for the period 1788 to 1900.