Earth and planetary sciences texts

We have books on understanding fundamental Earth and planetary processes and their role in complex Earth systems including geology, volcanoes and the making of mountains.

We have provided some highlights below.

 

Encyclopedia of Geology 2nd Edition

  • Contributors: Godfrey Fitton, Simon Harley 
  • Academic Press (2020)

The Encyclopedia of Geology, Second Edition presents in six volumes state-of-the-art reviews on the various aspects of geologic research, all of which have moved on considerably since the writing of the first edition. New areas of discussion include extinctions, origins of life, plate tectonics and its influence on faunal provinces, new types of mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, new methods of dating rocks, and geological processes. Users will find this to be a fundamental resource for teachers and students of geology, as well as researchers and non-geology professionals seeking up-to-date reviews of geologic research.

Encyclopedia of Geology 2nd Edition

Paleozoic–Mesozoic Geology of South Island, New Zealand Subduction-related Processes Adjacent to SE Gondwana

  • Author: Alastair Robertson
  • Geological Society of London (2019)

This memoir presents and discusses recent research mainly concerning the Permian and Triassic geological development of South Island in its regional context, which includes New Zealand as a whole, the continent of Zealandia, eastern Australia and Antarctica. The volume will interest geoscientists, including stratigraphers, sedimentologists, palaeontologists, igneous petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists and economic geologists, and is aimed at professional geologists and advanced students of geology.

Paleozoic–Mesozoic Geology of South Island

Introduction to Controlled-Source Electromagnetic Methods

  • Authors: Anton Ziolkowski, Evert Slob
  • Cambridge University Press (2019)

This volume describes how controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) methods are used to determine the electrical conductivity and hydrocarbon content of the upper few kilometres of the Earth, on land and at sea. The authors show how the signal-to-noise ratio of the measured data may be maximised via suitable choice of acquisition and processing parameters and selection of subsequent data analysis procedures. 

Requiring no specialist prior knowledge of electromagnetic theory, and providing a step-by-step guide through the necessary mathematics, this book provides an accessible introduction for advanced students, researchers and industry practitioners in exploration geoscience.

Introduction to Controlled-Source Electromagnetic Methods

Volcanoes and the Making of Scotland

  • Author: Brian Upton
  • Dunedin Academic Press (2015)

Scotland's mountains and glens retain the secrets of the long and frequently violent geological history that has gone into their making. Reflecting current research into Scotland's geology, the author speculates as to the climate, geography and ecology of the long-gone landscapes in which the volcanoes of differing ages were created and destroyed.

  • "[The book] will be welcomed in particular by students at all levels and by amateur geologists such as those who read The Edinburgh Geologist. They will learn so much about all the fascinating volcanic relics that we are fortunate to have in Scotland, will clarify their understanding of volcanic and magmatic processes in general and, above all, will thoroughly enjoy reading an undoubted masterpiece.' (The Edinburgh Geologist)

Volcanoes and the Making of Scotland

Orogenesis: The Making of Mountains

  • Authors: Michael Johnson, Simon Harley 
  • Cambridge University Press (2012)

Orogenesis, the process of mountain building, occurs when two tectonic plates collide – either forcing material upwards to form mountain belts such as the Alps or Himalayas or causing one plate to be subducted below the other, results in volcanic mountain chains such as the Andes. Integrating the approaches of structural geology and metamorphism, this book provides an up-to-date overview of orogenic research and an introduction to the physico-chemical properties of mountain belts.  This book provides a valuable introduction to this fast-moving field for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of structural geology, plate tectonics and geodynamics, and will also provide a vital overview of research for academics and researchers working in related fields including petrology geochemistry and sedimentology.

Orogenesis: The Making of Mountains

Find out more

You can also search for more books and our publications under individual research staff profiles, or through our research groups and themes.

Earth and Planetary Sciences Institute

Our research staff