Metamorphic Rocks

Our purpose is to clearly present the various aspects of physical geology so that students can understand the logic of what scientists have discovered as well as the elegant way the parts are interrelated to explain how Earth, as a whole, works. This approach is epitomized by our treatment of plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is central to understanding how the Earth works. Rather than providing a full-fledged presentation of plate tectonics at the beginning of the textbook and overwhelming students, Physical Geology presents the essentials of plate tectonics This introductory material is no longer divided between the chapter opener page and the main text, which will provide more encouragement for students to read it. the kinds of questions they should be able to answer once they have mastered the material in the chapter. Learning objectives emphasize the synthesis of information over the basic recollection of terminology, something many introductory-level students struggle with.