Geology in the Field [Hardcover]

Robert R. Compton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471829021 | ISBN-13: 978-0471829027 | Publication Date: July 1985 | Edition: 1st

Replaces Compton's Manual of Field Geology (1962). A guide to advances in the increasingly broad and interpretive discipline of formation mapping theory. Thorough, yet compact enough for use in the field, it consists of brief descriptions of textures and structures useful in interpreting depositional environments, kinds of volcanic activity, and plutonic events and conditions. Included are procedures often reserved for the laboratory or office: staining rocks, correcting orientations of current indicators, constructing profile sections of folds, measuring strains, making photogeologic interpretations, and more. Covers pre-field considerations, methods of observation and measurement, recognition of key geologic features, and preparation of a report. Illustrated with composite drawings. Fourteen appendixes provide systemized data and procedures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Replaces Compton's Manual of Field Geology (1962). A guide to advances in the increasingly broad and interpretive discipline of formation mapping theory. Thorough, yet compact enough for use in the field, it consists of brief descriptions of textures and structures useful in interpreting depositional environments, kinds of volcanic activity, and plutonic events and conditions. Included are procedures often reserved for the laboratory or office: staining rocks, correcting orientations of current indicators, constructing profile sections of folds, measuring strains, making photogeologic interpretations, and more. Covers pre-field considerations, methods of observation and measurement, recognition of key geologic features, and preparation of a report. Illustrated with composite drawings. Fourteen appendixes provide systemized data and procedures.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1st edition (July 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471829021
• ISBN-13: 978-0471829027
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the BEST one volume field manual around., May 30, 1999

By 

David Dathe (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Geology in the Field (Hardcover)

Compton's text is one of those it seems that every geologist has read at some point. Clear, concise and practical, the text covers all the basics of field geology. The text is in three basic parts: Chapters 1-8 cover doing field work, e.g., equipment needed, basic procedures at outcrops, mapping rock units, geologic mapping, use of aerial photos, and mapping with a plane table and alidade. Chapters 9-15 cover describing the basic rock types (sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic) as well as volcanic structures and plutons. I remember well almost memorizing the chapter on Stratigraphic Sections as an undergraduate. The final part of the book is the appendices which contain much valuable information such as percentage diagrams for estimating rock compositions by volume and a table of standard lithologic symbols. I carry photocopies of several of the appendices in my field notebook for reference. (They are lighter than the AGI Data Sheets and on some trips weight is critical.) Use of the book will clearly be dictated by the type of field work one does, however, the entire text is a wealth of information. The book only shows its age (1985) with omission of a couple of important developments in field geology such as GPS, now often used in field reports. However, this is only a minor complaint. Field geology is done in the field, but Compton's manual will give every geologist the necessary information to begin the adventure. And mastering the basics in "Geology in the Field" will provide a solid foundation on which to build all of our individual, personal quirks and habits we seem to evolve while at the outcrops.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No update of Compton's 'bible' in over 20 years shows the state of Field Geology, February 1, 2007

By 

James Safranek "Holocene Meltwater" (Steinbeck Country) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Geology in the Field (Hardcover)

I think the true state of field geology is illustrated by the date of this pub and the lack of a much needed revision, the movement towards 'black box' geology in 30 years, an aging cohort of old-timer geologists who have not been able to pass the torch of field work on to a large number of younger generation geologists, in addition to the old timers' inability to keep up with recent technological advances in field methods and techniques (like the laptop!)
How is it that recent field HYDROGEOLOGY books are being published at a rapid pace for practitioners, but Compton's book is still being praised by these other Amazon reviewers as though god him/herself wrote the thing?Useful yes, but if this is the best we're going to get for years, students will need to supplement w/ online field geology developments.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why didn't I buy it sooner?, July 3, 2007

By 

New geologist (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geology in the Field (Hardcover)

This is a great field guide for new geologists. I just wish I had found it before field camp. It explains everything you need to know in the field clearly and is small enough to take on any day hike. It is rather spendy but totally worth it. I would recommend this book to any of my fellow students or co-workers.