Foundations of Earth Science

Fred Lutgens and Ed Tarbuck have been good friends and colleagues since 1970.  Between them, they have more than 57 years of experience teaching geology to undergraduates, and both have been recognized with awards as excellent and inspiring professors.  They share a special interest in introducing geology to beginning students and a belief in the value of field experiences for students of all levels.   Lutgens and Tarbuck published their first college text, Earth Science, in 1976.  That book, winner of the McGuffy Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association, is now going into its tenth edition.  In 1983, as the first edition of Earth was being prepared, gifted geology illustrator Dennis Tasa joined the author team.  Since then the three have collaborated on more than twenty projects.  Not only do Tarbuck, Lutgens, and Tasa work well together creatively; they also enjoy spending time in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Tasa’s New Mexico studio.   Tarbuck enjoys downhill skiing in Colorado, fly fishing near his childhood home in Northern Minnesota, and spending time in the Cascades.  Lutgens is an avid runner, and when he can make the time, truly enjoys hiking the canyons of the Colorado Plateau.  Although Lutgens and Tarbuck think alike on many issues, they don’t agree on everything.  Lutgens is devoted to jazz and classical music, whereas Tarbuck prefers pop artists or a good country station.  

Introduction to Earth Science

Unit I EARTH MATERIALS

Chapter 1: Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks

Chapter 2: Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Unit II SCULPTURING EARTH’S SURFACE

Chapter 3: Landscapes Fashioned by Water

Chapter 4: Glacial and Arid Landscapes

Unit III FORCES WITHIN

Chapter 5: Plate Tectonics: A Scientific Theory Unfolds

Chapter 6: Restless Earth: Earthquakes, Geologic Structures, and Mountain Building

Chapter 7: Fires Within: Igneous Activity

Unit IV DECIPHERING EARTH’S HISTORY

Chapter 8: Geologic Time

Unit V THE GLOBAL OCEAN

Chapter 9: Oceans: The Last Frontier

Chapter 10: The Restless Ocean

Unit VI EARTH’S DYNAMIC ATMOSPHERE

Chapter 11: Heating the Atmosphere

Chapter 12: Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Chapter 13: The Atmosphere in Motion

Chapter 14: Weather Patterns and Severe Weather

Unit VII EARTH’S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE

Chapter 15: The Nature of the Solar System

Chapter 16: Beyond the Solar System