Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, 2nd Edition [Hardcover]

Harvey Blatt (Author), Robert J. Tracy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0716724383 | ISBN-13: 978-0716724384 | Publication Date: December 15, 1995 | Edition: 2nd

This second edition is an overview of the three basic rock groups. The text includes updated hard rock and sedimentary sections, and also incorporates recent changes in thinking about soft rock geology.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

HARVEY BLATT Teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel ROBERT TRACY Teaches at Virginia Polytechnic & State University, USA --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 529 pages
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman and Company; 2nd edition (December 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716724383
• ISBN-13: 978-0716724384
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic Text, June 5, 2005

By 

C. A. SMITH (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

This is a very good introductory petrology text which combines igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology in one volume. With a publication date of 1996, it may be getting a little long in the tooth, however. For example, the book discusses the Wilson hot spot model without reference to mantle plumes. With the exception of some apparent confusion about the effect on seismic velocity of the asthenosphere, I found no significant errors nor editing problems. My only significant criticism is that all of the photographs are in black and white, and some are printed so darkly that details are hard to make out. One would think that, with a price approaching $100, the publisher would be able to include a bit of color in the appropriate places.

Note: This review is of the first edition; perhaps the problems with the figures have been addressed in the second edition.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars M. Gibbons, April 4, 2009

By 

Matthew E. B. Gibbons (Iraq) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic (Hardcover)

I was a student of Brent Owens in the Geology Dept. at William and Mary. He is an absolute first rate teacher and this text reflects aptitude for teaching. The desciptions are precise, the reading easy, and the subject material is up-to-date. I liked the text enough to keep it and not re-sell it to an incoming student.

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly accessible overview of Petrology, January 20, 2012

By 

BYF - See all my reviews

This review is from: Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

In this new edition of 'Petrology,' veteran author Harvey Blatt and well-known scholar Robert Tracy combine efforts to provide a contemporary, highly accessible overview to the three basic rock groups. Blatt has refined the sedimentary chapters to include the latest information about soft rocks, while Tracy has applied his cutting-edge knowledge to the hard rock chapters, updating information about igneous and metamorphic rocks. The result is a comprehensive introduction to petrology, ideal for students in their first course.

The second edition focuses on the methods petrologists use to do their work and acknowledges the dramatic changes that have shaped petrology over the past 25 years - from technological advances that have deepened our understanding of rock-forming processes to the increasing interaction between petrologists and other earth scientists who determine how petrologic processes and products fit into a tectonic framework. Blatt and Tracy consistently address the needs of students by keeping the mathematics simple whenever possible and introducing concepts such as crystallization and melting processes in logical order.