Essentials of Oceanography (7th Edition)

Hal Thurman retired in May 1994 after 24 years of teaching in the Earth Sciences Department of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. Interest in geology led to a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma A&M University, followed by seven years working as a petroleum geologist, mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. Here his interest in oceans developed, and he earned a master's degree from California State University at Los Angeles, then joined the Earth Sciences faculty at Mt. San Antonio College. Hal Thurman is also the author of Introductory Oceanography and has co-authored a marine biology textbook, written articles on the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Oceans for the 1994 edition of World Book Encyclopedia, and served as a consultant on the National Geographic publication, Realms of the Sea. He enjoys going to sea on vacations with his wife Iantha.

Al Trujillo teaches at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, California, where he is co-Director of the Oceanography Program. He received his bachelor's degree in geology from the University of California at Davis and his master's degree in geology from Northern Arizona University, afterwards working for several years in industry as a developmental geologist, hydrogeologist, and computer specialist. A1 began teaching in the Earth Sciences Department at Palomar in 1990 and in 1997 was awarded Palomar's Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has contributed to other Prentice Hall Earth science textbooks, including Earth, 7th Edition and Earth Science, 10th Edition. He is currently working with Hal Thurman as a co-author on Introductory Oceanography, 10th Edition. In addition to writing and teaching, Al works as a naturalist and lecturer aboard natural history expedition vessels in Alaska and the Sea of Cortez/Baja California. His research interests include beach processes, sea cliff erosion, and computer applications in oceanography. A1 and his wife, Sandy, have two children, Karl and Eva.