Essentials of geology / Frederick K. Lutgens and Edward J. Tarbuck; illustrated by Dennis Tasa.

1 An introduction to geology -- 2 Plate tectonics : a scientific revolution unfolds -- 3 Matter and minerals -- 4 Igneous rocks and intrusive activity -- 5 Volcanoes and volcanic hazards -- 6 Weathering and soils -- 7 Sedimentary rocks -- 8 Metamorphism and metamorphic rocks -- 9 Earthquakes and earth's interior -- 10 Origin and evolution of the ocean floor -- 11 Crustal deformation and mountain building -- 12 Mass movement on slopes: the work of gravity -- 13 Running water -- 14 Groundwater -- 15 Glaciers and glaciation -- 16 Deserts and wind -- 17 Shorelines -- 18 Geologic time -- 19 Earth's evolution through geologic time -- 20 Global climate change.

The thirteenth edition of Essentials of Geology, like its predecessors, is a college-level text that is intended to be a meaningful, nontechnical survey for students taking their first course in geology. In addition to being informative and up-to-date, a major goal of this book is to meet the need of students for a readable and user-friendly text that is a valuable tool for learning the basic principles and concepts of geology.