Matthew R. Bennett – författare

The Key to Earth History introduces students to the basic tools used by geologists to reconstruct the Earth's history, and shows how these tools can be used to chart the pattern of global environmental change since the formation of the Earth some 4600 million years ago. It tells a story of mountain building, climate change and of the evolution of life, and uses the North Atlantic region (Europe and North America) as a study area to illustrate this story.Divided into two parts, the book shows how stratigraphy is the key to understanding the history of the Earth. The first part examines the basic stratigraphical methods used to establish, date and interpret the rock record as the product of a series of events whithin Earth history. The second part presents the results obtained by geologists, who have used these stratigraphical tools to reconstruct the pattern of global environmental change through geological time and focuses on the geological evolution of the North Atlantic region. The Key to Earth History is essential reading for geologists, geographers and environmental scientists, as well as to all those interested in the story of the planet."The authors provide no one with an alibi for bad stratigraphic teaching!"—Geoscientist"The aims of this introductory textbook are to explain the process and pattern of Earth history, to generate interest and enthusiasm, to make stratigraphy fun and exciting! These aims are admirably achieved."—The Holocene"This is a great little book! I found that, not only was everything covered, but that it was covered in a refreshing, readable, no-nonsense fashion."—Earth Science Reviews"The Key to Earth History really should be compulsory reading for all ... geology students."—Geologie

Environmental Geology: geology and the human environment provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of environmental geology - the interaction of humans with the geological environment. As a subject, environmental geology has grown in popularity with the rise of interest in environmental issues. Despite this, environmental geology is not a new subject but a meld of three related earth science disciplines: economic geology, engineering geology and applied geomorphology, each of which has been given a new focus through the need for greater environmental management. This book is the first of its kind to recognise that the true challenge of environmental geology does not lie in rural areas or in the green issues, but in the urban environment and its resource hinterland. By the year 2000, over 3.5 billion people, over 50% of the world's population, will live in urban areas covering just 1% of the earth's surface. It is here that human interaction with the geological environment is at its most intense: it is here that the practical challenges in environmental geology lie. Urban growth fuels the demand for mineral and water resources, tests our skills as engineering geologists, produces vast volumes of waste which must be managed, and increases human vulnerability to natural hazards. All of these topics are covered within this book. Environmental geology is a practical subject, and environmental geologists have a crucial role in managing our interaction with the geological environment. This textbook demonstrates how environmental geologists can make a practical contribution to managing this interaction allowing both sustained development and environmental conservation.

Stratigraphy is the key to understanding the geological evolution of the earth. It provides the framework for our interpretation of the sequences of events which have shaped the earth throughout its 4600 million years of existence. It provides the timescale with which we can determine the relative order of these events, and it provides the means whereby we can calibrate this using absolute ages in years. Stratigraphy is therefore the most fundamental subject in the science of geology, and all geologists are practising stratigraphers. Traditionally, however, stratigraphy has been considered as a Victorian science, a ponderous process of the naming and cataloguing of innumerable geological units most of which are of limited interest outside of a given geographical region. This view has been challenged in recent years through the development of new techniques such as sequence stratigraphy, cyclostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy which have greatly enhanced our capability to interpret earth history. In this book many of the leading practitioners of modern stratigraphy have been gathered together to provide up-to-date and authoritative reviews of most of the important advances in the subject. As such it is the only volume to provide a comprehensive treatment of modern stratigraphy at an advanced undergraduate level.

A multi-disciplinary approach to understanding how terrain has affected the outcome of warfare in history. Taking a broad sweep from mediaeval times, the English Civil Wars of the 17th century and the Napoleonic Wars of the 18th century, its primary focus is on the major battles and engagements of the century of warfare from 1850 to 1950. Examining the American Civil War, the Anglo-Zulu War, the Boer War, the Great War of 1914-1918, the Spanish Civil War and finally World War II, it takes a total terrain view. All aspects of terrain, including the cultural and spiritual significance of battle, the physical geography and geology of the battlefield and the growing discipline of battlefield archaeology are covered.

This book is not only essential reading for forensic and earth science students but also for professional forensic practitioners as well as for applied computer scientists developing new tools for visualization and analysis of 3D data.

Students taking undergraduate degrees in geography, ecology, earth science, and environmental science frequently take an introductory unit in Physical Geography. Our Dynamic Earth introduces students to the Earth's origins, to plate tectonics, atmospheric and oceanographic circulation, as well as to a range of Earth surface processes.

Students taking undergraduate degrees in geography, ecology, earth science, and environmental science frequently take an introductory unit in Physical Geography. Our Dynamic Earth introduces students to the Earth's origins, to plate tectonics, atmospheric and oceanographic circulation, as well as to a range of Earth surface processes.

While human footprint sites are rare in the geological record the number of sites around the World has increased in recent years, along with the analytical tools available for their study.

Human footprints provide some of the most emotive and tangible evidence of our ancestors. They provide evidence of stature, presence, behaviour and in the case of early hominin footprints, evidence with respect to the evolution of human gait and foot anatomy. While human footprint sites are rare in the geological record the number of sites around the World has increased in recent years, along with the analytical tools available for their study. The aim of this book is to provide a definitive review of these recent developments with specific reference to the increased availability of three-dimensional digital elevation models of human tracks at many key sites. The book is divided into eight chapters. Following an introduction the second chapter reviews modern field methods in human ichnology focusing on the development of new analytical tools.  The third chapter then reviews the major footprint sites around the World including details on several unpublished examples. Chapters then follow on the role of geology in the formation and preservation of tracks, on the inferences that can be made from human tracks and the final chapter explores the application of this work to forensic science.Audience:This volume will be of interest to researchers and students across a wide range of disciplines – sedimentology, archaeology, forensics and palaeoanthropology.

“There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps.  Happily, I have always laid great stress upon it, and much practice has made it second nature to me.” Sherlock Holmes, Study of Scarlet.Despite the fictional nature of Sherlock Holmes this statement rings true today.  The study of footwear is neglected in modern forensic practice and does have much to offer.  What it needs is an injection of technology and modern analytical tools.  These tools are emerging from the digital revolution currently transforming vertebrate ichnology.  Ichnology is the discipline of earth science which focuses on the study of trace fossils such as footprints.  This book draws upon both disciplines - geology (ichnology) and forensic science - to show how the two have much to learn from each other especially with regard to the digital captureand analysis of footprints. This book presents field and laboratory methods associated with the collection, analysis and presentation of three-dimensional tracks (footprints) whether from a crime scene or a geological/archaeological excavation. It shows students, researchers and practitioners how to collect and analyse 3D data and take advantage of the digital revolution transforming ichnology.  This book is not only essential reading for forensic and earth science students but also for professional forensic practitioners as well as for applied computer scientists developing new tools for visualization and analysis of 3D data.  The book forms a natural methods focused complement to the successful text Fossilised Locomotion published by Springer 2014.