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Synopsis
'Outstanding Academic Title' Choice, magazine of the Association of College & Research Libraries, American Library Association.Most mountains on Earth occur within relatively well-defined, narrow belts separated by wide expanses of much lower-lying ground. Their distribution is not random but is caused by the now well-understood geological processes of plate tectonics. Some mountains mark the site of a former plate collision - where one continental plate has ridden up over another, resulting in a zone of highly deformed and elevated rocks. Others are essentially volcanic in origin.The most obvious mountain belts today - the Himalayas, the Alps and the Andes, for example - are situated at currently active plate boundaries. Others, such as the Caledonian mountains of the British Isles and Scandinavia, are the product of a plate collision that happened far in the geological past and have no present relationship to a plate boundary. These are much lower, with a generally gentler relief, worn down through millennia of erosion.The presently active mountain belts are arranged in three separate systems: the Alpine-Himalayan ranges, the circum-Pacific belt and the mid-ocean ridges. Much of the Alpine-Himalayan belt is relatively well known, but large parts of the circum-Pacific and ocean-ridge systems are not nearly as familiar, but contain equally impressive mountain ranges despite large parts being partly or wholly submerged.This book takes the reader along the active mountain systems explaining how plate tectonic processes have shaped them, then looks more briefly at some of the older mountain systems whose tectonic origins are more obscure. It is aimed at those with an interest in mountains and in developing an understanding of the geological processes that create them. New & Used
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What Reviewers Are Saying
'This highly attractive, superbly illustrated book provides a comprehensive review of 'European' volcanoes that have been active in the past 10 000 years. It includes all active and dormant volcanoes and some that can probably be regarded as extinct. 'Europe' is meant in a political rather than a geographical sense and hence includes oceanic islands of the North Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge... Ironically, I received the invitation to review this book whilst on a Geologists' Association tour of Italian volcanoes, but I did not see it until after I had returned home. It summarises and illustrates beautifully all that we saw on that trip but how I wish that I had had it earlier and I know that this is a volume that I will dip into again and again.' Edinburgh Geologist'
'At first glance, it would be tempting to describe this attractive book merely as a "geological atlas of mountains," but this would do the author a grave disservice. Yes, it presents a detailed snapshot of our current geological knowledge of the world's mountain belts. However, the text not only describes how the mountains vary in space, but it also explores how they have evolved over time. As the author dissects their anatomy, he also examines the geological processes involved in shaping them, from youth to maturity. Moreover, their development is considered within the context of the whole Earth system and the overarching model of plate tectonics-key concepts that underpin the discipline of geology and that are summarized in one of the early chapters...
This volume could satisfy several different types of reader. I can imagine an undergraduate geology or geography student turning to it for authoritative, first-order information on an unfamiliar mountain region, say for an assignment, and dipping in to the appropriate chapter, before perhaps being drawn in to other sections by simple curiosity. Similarly, for a geological researcher skimming rapidly for background information before embarking on investigations in a new mountain belt, it is the perfect place for a swift overview before diving into the expert literature via the references towards the back of the book. However, I can also see this volume on the cluttered bookshelf or coffee table of anyone who is fascinated by mountains-from whatever angle-and has been searching for a book to paint in the geological background of their own mental portrait of what a mountain is. This book is what they have been seeking.' Mountain Research and Development
'Never before has anyone taken a global look at mountain , in this way and presented the material in such a clear and fairly simple manner. To do the task Graham uses superb colourful maps and sections. accompanied by excellent colour photographs. The large format pages are uncluttered allowing the images to be reproduced at generous sizes. My summary - a great read!' Down to Earth
'At first glance, it would be tempting to describe this attractive book merely as a "geological atlas of mountains," but this would do the author a grave disservice. Yes, it presents a detailed snapshot of our current geological knowledge of the world's mountain belts. However, the text not only describes how the mountains vary in space, but it also explores how they have evolved over time. As the author dissects their anatomy, he also examines the geological processes involved in shaping them, from youth to maturity. Moreover, their development is considered within the context of the whole Earth system and the overarching model of plate tectonics-ke
This volume could satisfy several different types of reader. I can imagine an undergraduat
'Never before has anyone taken a global look at mountain , in this way and presented the material in such a clear and fairly simple manner. To do the task Graham uses superb colourful maps and sections. accompanied by excellent colour photographs.