The following pages are intended to supply the student with a comprehensive account of the present condition and probable early history of the external crust of the earth, an elementary treatise on the science of Crystallography, and a systematic arrangement and description of the various Minerals found in nature.

The author of the treatise on Geology has already published both elementary and practical works on the subject; and to one of these he feels it right to refer, as it may seem not dissimilar to the present treatise in plan and treatment. The work alluded to (“ Elementary Course of Geology, Mineralogy, and Physical Geography,” London, 1850) is, however, in reality very unlike this, and adapted for a different purpose. It may either succeed or accompany this volume in the hands of the student, but cannot be substituted for it, being more technical, and in greater detail in the departments of Physical Geography and Descriptive Geology ; while the Geological portion of the following pages will be found to abound in generalization,—theoretical, descriptive, and practical. As an instance, the Author may mention the distinct treatise on the application of Geological Knowledge to the Art of Landscape Painting, which forms a prominent part of the division entitled “Practical Geology:' The novelty of this subject, its great interest, and a due consideration of the many ways in which the observations of the Artist and the Geologist run parallel, form an ample apology for its insertion; and the mode in which the subject was received by the profession (when it formed the substance of a series of Lectures delivered a few years ago at the Suffolk Street Gallery, before the Society of British Artists) has induced the Author to bring it forward on the present occasion. <...>

All major Appalachian tectonostratographic zones in Gaspesie, Quebec and New Brunswick (i.e. Humber, Dunnage, Gander, and Avalon) are intruded by Paleozoic granites. Granite petrological and geochemical data assist in evaluating the economic potential of the plutons and provide insight into the crustal and tectonic evolution of the orogen.
Based on Na2O and Al index values (generally >3.2 wt.% and <1.1 respectively) and high-field strength element contents, most of the granites are 1-types; some have "А-type affinities". Granite chemical and isotopic characteristics distinguish three contrasting groups of granites: Humber-Dunnage, Gander, and Avalon. Positive eNd values for Humber, Dunnage, and Avalon granites indicate melting of predominately juvenile sources. Negative e Nd and elevated 201РЫШРЬ and 518 values for Gander granites are consistent with reworking of older (1.1-1.8 Ga) crust containing a significant supracrustal component. Neodymium isotopic data effectively rules out Grenville basement as a source for Humber-Dunnage granites. Gander zone is apparently the autochthonous surface expression of a distinct lower crustal block. Contrasting e Nd signatures from Avalon and Gander granites indicates that Gander and Avalon zones are underlain by different crustal blocks, i.e. Precambrian Avalon basement is not a suitable protolith for Gander granites.<...>

The Earth is our familiar home, yet the geological processes which underlie our tenure on it can seem intimidatingly vast, ancient, and sometimes even alien—certainly beyond everyday human experience. Our planet’s origins and upheavals have fascinated humans for millennia, but only recently have we developed a clear understanding of how the Earth actually works.
Many people alive today were born at a time when no one knew where Earth’s constituents came from, why continents move, how diamonds are made, what causes earthquakes, when life started, or whether geological processes occur elsewhere in the Universe. We now know a great deal about all these things, and geology is expanding at breakneck speed.Long before it had a name, geology was a crucial part of human knowledge. Even before agriculture, humans needed to know where water was wrung from the ground, where the best tool-stones could be found, and how to choose a stable, safe campsite. This knowledge expanded with the advent of farming and settlements around ten thousand years ago—working the land where minerals in the soil would make crops and beasts thrive, carving irrigation channels and trackways into the ground, and hewing stones to build the new villages and cities. <...>

The engineer’s job is to design and build structures that interact continuously with the soil and subsurface. The goal of this book is to give engineers an academic understanding of earth science and the basics needed to conduct engineering activity appropriate to the various environments that exist on our planet. The objective is to provide:
• The knowledge and ability to analyze the geological processes that create, deform, and weather rocks;
• An understanding of the principal types of rocks and unconsolidated materials and their properties;
• An illustration of how geological conditions affect engineering activities, and how they can simplify or complicate these activities;
• An appreciation of the richness of underground resources and an understanding of how to manage them, geared toward modern engineers seeking sustainable development in an interdisciplinary environment.