Dictionary of Earth Sciences (Oxford Paperback Reference) [Paperback]

Michael Allaby (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199211949 | ISBN-13: 978-0199211944 | Publication Date: April 7, 2008 | Edition: 3

This leading dictionary--now in its third edition--offers wide-ranging and authoritative coverage of the earth sciences and related topics. In more than 6,250 clear and accessible entries, it covers geology, oceanography, paleontology, mineralogy, volcanology, and planetary science as well as climatology, geochemistry, and petrology. The third edition is fully updated and includes additional coverage of process geomorphology and physical geography, plus more than 50 new line drawings to accompany descriptions of forms and processes. The new edition also features web links accessed via a companion website, featuring additional information that is regularly updated to ensure that it stays fresh. Finally, the book has a revised bibliography and a number of appendices that include a revised geological time scale, stratigraphic units, lunar and Martian time scales, wind-strength scales, and SI units. It is an essential reference for students of geography, geology, and earth sciences and in related disciplines.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If there is one thing that Oxford University Press can produce better than any other publisher, it's a dictionary. This dictionary would be an important supplement to any Earth Science course or related discipline, but is also written so that someone without prior knowledge can be easily introduced to the field. A concise, informative and attractive book that attempts to cover every aspect of Earth Science for the modern world."--The Astrobiology Society of Britain

"I marvel at how the editors have compressed so much so clearly"--Nature (review for previous edition)

"Can really claim to offer comprehensive coverage of the earth sciences"--Times Educational Supplement (review for previous edition)

About the Author

Michael Allaby has written over 80 books on the environment, climatology, meteorology, and geography. He is also the editor of the Oxford Dictionaries of Ecology, Zoology, and Plant Sciences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (April 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199211949
• ISBN-13: 978-0199211944
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dictionary of Earth Sciences (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

Being an Earth Science major in school, I found this book helpful for most general Earth Science terms, but when it gets down to the more advanced terms (ie for mineralogy, petrography, etc), this book is somewhat lacking. Overall helpful with general knowledge.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of the 2nd edition (1999), October 26, 2004

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dictionary of Earth Sciences (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

While not an earth sciences person myself, I have had to plow through quite a number of environmental science dictionaries and textbooks over the years as references for various aspects of projects at my job (which has to do with environmental modelling, representation, and simulation). It'd be a shame to let all that "how would an educated layperson cope with this book" experience go to waste...

The authors themselves make clear in their prefaces (that for the first edition is also included) what the intended use of the book is - as a dictionary of words and terms in current use, in order to explain that usage (*not* to express an opinion on what a correct usage should be). (In compiling any sort of dictionary/glossary across multiple disciplines, believe me, it's *very* difficult to agree on The One True Definition (TM) of any term.)

The DICTIONARY isn't intended as a textbook, but might be a useful supplement. There are occasional diagrams, but not many relative to the number of entries.

A DICTIONARY OF EARTH SCIENCES doesn't *just* tackle geologic terms - if it did, it'd be titled differently. The scope includes "terms from climatology, meteorology, economic geology, engineering geology, geochemistry, geochronology, geomorphology, geophysics, hydrology, mineralogy, oceanography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, palaeogeography, palaeontology, pedology, petrology...planetary geology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, tectonics, and volcanology."

Having such a broad scope, it's good for general / introductory knowledge, on the whole, but don't expect *too* much of it for more specialized areas.

It passes my personal, idiosyncratic acid test; it not only defines the Udden-Wentworth scale of particle size (which is used to grade sands, silts, gravel, etc.), but gives both its common names. (Far too many textbooks seem to assume that the scale fell out of the sky and don't even give its name.) So it's reasonably good at defining very common terms and tools that are often assumed to need no explanation.

Differences from the first edition: all terms were reviewed, many updated. There were a few removals of terms no longer considered relevant, and a great many additions (this last generated mostly by planetary exploration both in space and for natural resources).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference for all knowledge levels, September 9, 2009

By 

Jennifer L. Markham "geojenn" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Earth Sciences (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

I am a geologist but there are always new terms and no one seems to be consistant on old terminology so I got this for a quick reminder reference. Some of my other dictionaries ( I have at least 4 others as well) have definitions that are never relative to my subject or make sense. This one does and has each meaning or usage of the term! highly recommended!