The Earth is a dynamic planet that has changed contin- uously during its 4.6 billion years of existence. The size, shape, and geographic distribution of the continents and ocean basins have changed through time, as have the atmosphere and biota. Over the past 20 years, bold new theories and discoveries concerning the Earth's origin and how it works have sparked a renewed interest in geology. We have become increasingly aware of how fragile our planet is and, more importantly, how inter- dependent all of its various systems are. We have learned
that we cannot continually pollute our environment and that our natural resources are limited and, in most cases, nonrenewable. Furthermore, we are coming to realize how central geology is to our everyday lives. For these and other reasons, geology is one of the most important college or university courses a student can take. <...>
