The Transantarctic Mountains: Rocks, Ice, Meteorites and Water - Tapa dura

Mensing, Teresa M.; Faure, Gunter

 
9781402084065: The Transantarctic Mountains: Rocks, Ice, Meteorites and Water

Sinopsis

This book is intended for Earth scientists who want to do fieldwork in the Transantarctic Mountains or who are interested in the geology of this region. The Transantarctic Mountains are relevant even from a global perspective because most of the rocks of which they are composed formed at a time when Antarctica was an integral part of the supercontinent of Gondwana, which subsequently broke apart during the Mesozoic Era to form the continents of the southern hemisphere. The first two chapters summarize the history of exploration of Antarctica leading up to the signing of the Antarctic Treaty (Chapter 1) and describe the present environmental conditions including the ozone hole (Chapter 2). The geology of the Transantarctic Mountains is described in the next five chapters: Basement rocks (Chapter 3), Beacon Supergroup (Chapter 4), Ferrar Supergroup (Chapter 5), Break-up of Gondwana (Chapter 6), and McMurdo Volcanics (Chapter 7). The descriptions of the present state and past history of the East Antarctic ice sheet (Chapter 8) is followed by presentations of the glacial geomorphology and aqueous geochemistry of the ice-free areas of the Transantarctic Mountains (Chapter 9).The book concludes with a review of the occurrence and relevance of the tens of thousands of meteorite specimens that have been recovered on the bare ice of the ablation areas of the East Antarctic ice sheet adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains (Chapter 10). The ten chapters are each self-contained and include extensive lists of references and tables of relevant data in the form of appendices. The book ends with author and subject indexes that will enhance its use as an encyclopedia of the diverse subjects that constitute the Transantarctic Mountains. In addition, the book is illustrated with a largenumber of original diagrams and photographs, and it features the water-color art of D.Molenaar.

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De la contraportada

This book presents a summary of the geology of the Transantarctic Mountains for Earth scientists who may want to work there or who need an overview of the geologic history of this region. In addition, the properties of the East Antarctic ice sheet and of the meteorites that accumulate on its surface are treated in separate chapters. The presentation ends with the Cenozoic glaciation of the Transantarctic Mountains including the limnology and geochemical evolution of the saline lakes in the ice-free valleys.

The subject matter in this book is presented in chronological order starting about 750 million years ago and continuing to the present time.
The chapters can be read selectively because the introduction to each chapter identifies the context that gives relevance to the subject matter to be discussed.
The text is richly illustrated with 330 original line drawings as well as with 182 color maps and photographs.
The book contains indexes of both subject matter and of authors names that allow it to be used as an encyclopedia of the Transantarctic Mountains and of the East Antarctic ice sheet.
Most of the chapters are supplemented by Appendices containing data tables, additional explanations of certain phenomena (e.g., the formation and seasonal destruction of stratospheric ozone), and illustrative calculations (e.g., 38Cl dates of meteorites).
The authors have spent a combined total of fourteen field seasons between 1964 and 1995 doing geological research in the Transantarctic Mountains with logistical support by the US Antarctic Program.
Although Antarctica is remote and inaccessible, tens of thousands of scientists of many nationalities and their assistants have worked there and even larger numbers of investigators will work there in the future.

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