The Geology of AustraliaThe Geology of Australia provides a vivid and informative account of the evolution of the Australian continent over the last 4400 million years. Starting 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, which 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. Separate chapters cover the origin of the Great Barrier Reef, the basalts in Eastern Australia, and the geology of the Solar System. This second edition features two new chapters, covering the evolution of life on Earth while emphasising the fossil record in Australia, and providing a geological perspective on climate change. From Uluru to the Great Dividing Range, from earthquakes to dinosaurs, from sapphires to the stars The Geology of Australia is a comprehensive exploration of the timeless forces that have shaped this continent. |
Contents
XII | 48 |
XIII | 49 |
XIV | 51 |
XV | 53 |
XVI | 57 |
XVII | 58 |
XVIII | 59 |
XIX | 63 |
XX | 67 |
XXI | 72 |
XXII | 78 |
XXIII | 80 |
XXIV | 83 |
XXV | 84 |
XXVI | 89 |
XXVII | 90 |
XXVIII | 93 |
XXIX | 100 |
XXX | 101 |
XXXI | 105 |
XXXII | 113 |
XXXIII | 114 |
XXXIV | 117 |
XXXV | 121 |
XXXVI | 123 |
XXXVII | 125 |
XXXVIII | 126 |
XXXIX | 134 |
XL | 136 |
XLI | 145 |
XLII | 156 |
XLIII | 157 |
XLIV | 160 |
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Common terms and phrases
000 years ago accumulated animals Antarctic Antarctica Archaean areas atmosphere Barrier Reef basalts basins beach Cambrian carbon climate change coal coast coastal coastline continent continental shelf cooling corals core craters craton Cretaceous crust dating David Johnson deep deformation deposits dinosaurs Earth earthquakes east eastern edge eroded erosion eruptions evidence extended extinction figure flow formed fossils geological Geoscience Australia glacial global Gondwana granite greenhouse heat ice sheets impact Island Lake land landmass landscape lava layers limestones ma ago magma magnetic major mantle marine metamorphic meteorite million years ago minerals modern mountain northern occur ocean offshore Permian Pilbara plants plate Precambrian present preserved Proterozoic Queensland rainforest range region river Rodinia sand sandstones sea level seabed sedimentary rocks sediments sequences shallow shoreline solar Source South Australia South Wales southeastern southern supercontinent surface Sydney Tasman Tasmania tectonic temperature uplift valley victoria volcanic arc warm Western Australia zone