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  • Textbook
  • © 2011

Plate Tectonics

Continental Drift and Mountain Building

  • Presents many examples from North America and around the World
  • Includes over 190 excellent full colour diagrams and maps
  • An excellent introduction to geodynamics and plate tectonics, accompanied by boxed detailed summaries of key concepts and methods
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
  2. Contractional theory, continental drift and plate tectonics

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 1-13
  3. Plate movements and their geometric relationships

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 15-26
  4. Continental graben structures

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 27-41
  5. Passive continental margins and abyssal plains

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 43-57
  6. Mid-ocean ridges

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 59-74
  7. Hot spots

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 75-90
  8. Subduction zones, island arcs and active continental margins

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 91-122
  9. Transform faults

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 123-130
  10. Terranes

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 131-138
  11. Early Precambrian plate tectonics

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 139-147
  12. Plate tectonics and mountain building

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 149-158
  13. Old orogens

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 159-170
  14. Young orogens – the Earth’s loftiest places

    • Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald Blakey
    Pages 171-187
  15. Back Matter

    Pages 189-212

About this book

How are mountains formed? Why are there old and young mountains? Why do the shapes of South America and Africa fit so well together? Why is the Pacific surrounded by a ring of volcanoes and earthquake prone areas while the edges of the Atlantic are relatively peaceful?

Frisch and Meschede and Blakey answer all these questions and more through the presentation and explanation of the geo-dynamic processes upon which the theory of continental drift is based and which have lead to the concept of plate tectonics. 

Reviews

From the reviews:

“The authors discuss all major aspects of the subject in chapters focusing on theory development; plate movements and geometry; continental grabens, margins, and abyssal plains; mid-ocean ridges; hot spots; subduction zones, island arcs, volcanism, and metamorphism; transform faults; terrenes; mountain building; and more. … One of the book’s strongest points is the many excellent, colorful maps and cross-sections that complement the text. References to the literature are well chosen. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional readership.” (T. L. T. Grose, Choice, Vol. 49 (2), October, 2011)

“Das neue Autorenteam hat ein beachtliches Kompendium zu den algemeninen [sic] und vielen speziellen Grundlagen der Plattetektonik erstellt das in insbesondere durch die didaktische Darstellung voll überzeugt. Für Studierende wie Lehrende und Professionals ein Muß.”
Besonders hervozuheben: “Die klare konkrete Gliederung, die grafische Ausarbeitung sind exzellent, ergänzt durch die sehr gute textliche Abfassung” (Prof. Dr.Jochen Kuss, Universität Bremen)

“Für den Bachelor der Geowissenschaften die erste Wahl zur Vertiefung der ersten Vorlesungen.”
Besonders hervozuheben: “Die Blockbilder sind sehr gut gestaltet, einfach und präzise.” (Dr. Reinhard Wolff, GZG Geologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)

Authors and Affiliations

  • FB 16 Institut und Museum für, Geologie und Paläontologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Wolfgang Frisch

  • Greifswald, Germany

    Martin Meschede

  • Dept. Geology, Center for Environmental, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA

    Ronald C. Blakey

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Plate Tectonics

  • Book Subtitle: Continental Drift and Mountain Building

  • Authors: Wolfgang Frisch, Martin Meschede, Ronald C. Blakey

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76504-2

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental Science, Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-50151-1Published: 23 August 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-540-76504-2Published: 02 November 2010

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: VIII, 212

  • Topics: Geology, Structural Geology, Planetology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access