Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Physical Geology
Steven Earle · Vancover Island University
Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada.
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PHY SCI 101: General Course Physical Science
Likwan Cheng · City Colleges of Chicago
This in-house, live textbook for "PHY SCI 101: General Course Physical Science" initially comprises chapter readings selected from two LibreTexts textbooks (OpenGeology, Introduction to Ocean Sciences), chapter investigation activities with a local focus on Chicago and Illinois, and chapter general questions at the level of the course's traditional exit exam. (Title page image: "Gypsum Flowers" by James St. John.)
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Introduction to Historical Geology
Chris Johnson, Callan Bentley, Karla Panchuk, et al. · Maricopa Open Digital Press
Historical geology is a discipline that uses the principles and methods of geology to reconstruct the geological history of Earth. Historical geology examines the vastness of geologic time, measured in billions of years, and investigates changes in the Earth, gradual and sudden, over this deep time. It focuses on geological processes, such as plate tectonics, that have changed the Earth's surface and subsurface over time and the use of methods to tell the sequence of these events.
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Rain or Shine: An Introduction to Soil Physical Properties and Processes (CRPSCI 036)
Tyson Oschner · Coalinga College
This book is a multi-faceted learning resource for people who want or need to learn introductory concepts of soil physics. Soil physics is a scientific discipline focused on using the principles and techniques of physics to understand: the properties of the soil, the processes which occur in and on soils, and how those properties and processes were, are, or would be affected by changes in environment or management. "Rain or shine near Chilcott, Somerset, UK" by Edmund Shaw. CC BY-SA 2.0
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Introduction to Earth and Space Sciences
Robert Wagner · HACC
Introduction to Earth and Space Sciences explores Earth as a planet and its place in the larger universe. Beginning with astronomy, we investigate our solar system, stars, galaxies, and the universe. We then examine Earth’s atmosphere and the processes that produce weather and climate before turning to the solid Earth, its materials, geological history, and changing landscapes. Together, these topics reveal the interconnected processes that shape our planet and our understanding of the cosmos.
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An Introduction to Geology
Chris Johnson, Matthew D. Affolter, Paul Inkenbrandt, & Cam Mosher · Salt Lake Community College
This text is designed to give you a comprehensive introduction to Geology at no or very nominal cost. It contains both written and graphic text material, intra-text links to other internal material which may aid in understanding topics and concepts, intra-text links to the appendices and glossary for tables and definitions of words, and extra-text links to videos and web material that clarifies and augments topics and concepts.
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UCD GEL 56 Introduction to Geophysics
Magali Billen · University of California, Davis
Introduction to Geophysics provides a solid foundation in fundamental concepts from physics (diffusion, gravity, wave propagation), material science (rheology), scientific computing (basic programming, data analysis) and geophysics (plate tectonics, gravity, seismology, earthquakes) that are essential to multiple sub-topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences.
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Introduction to Historical Geology
Kelly Ruppert, Tor Lacy, and Emily Haddad · Coastline College, Cerritos College, and East Los Angeles College
Introduction to Historical Geology covers an overview of the basic principles of geology including plate tectonics, minerals, igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, sedimentology, geologic structures, geologic time, and evolution. After the foundations of geology are covered, the principles covered are used to explain Earth's geologic and evolutionary history through the Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic eons.
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Essentials of Oceanography
Eliza Richardson · Pennsylvania State University
This text introduces knowledge and broadens understanding of the oceans and their role in climate, coastal processes, and life within the fluid Earth. Students will gain insight into the physical and chemical processes that determine properties of the ocean and govern interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, groundwater, and the fluid/solid Earth. Topics will reinforce fundamental scientific principles.
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OCEAN-101: Fundamentals of Oceanography
Keddy Elizabeth · Diablo Valley College
This text is an introduction to the geological, chemical, physical and biological aspects of the world's oceans and interactions of these different aspects. Topics include the history of oceanography; historic and modern oceanographic instruments; plate tectonics and marine geology; the marine-land interface; ecological problems of the local bay, estuary, delta and state-wide water resources; the oceans’ roles as a dominant influence on the earth, its climate, and the lives of its inhabitants an
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Physical Geography
K. Allison Lenkeit-Meezan · Foothill College
Physical geography is the study of the earth's dynamic systems: its air, water, weather climate, landforms, rocks, soils, plants, ecosystems and biomes and how humans interact with the earth's systems. Physical geography is the study of the world around you. Everyone, every day, interacts with the earth's dynamic systems.
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Soils Laboratory Manual
Colby Moorberg & David Crouse · Kansas State University
The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses. The manual highlights the multidisciplinary aspects of soil science with laboratories focused on soil formation, classification, and mapping; soil physics, soil biology; soil chemistry; and soil fertility and management.
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Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science
William Brune · The Pennsylvania State University
This text prepares students by laying a solid foundation in the application of physical, chemical, and mathematical principles to a broad range of atmospheric phenomena. Students are introduced to fundamental concepts and applications of atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, atmospheric chemistry, cloud microphysics, atmospheric dynamics, and the atmospheric boundary layer.
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California Geography
Jeremy Patrich · College of the Canyons
This textbook was designed especially for Community College students, as a resource to instill the knowledge and adventure that the discipline of geography holds for so many of us. The following units will cover a wide array of topics such as: California’s water resources, geology, weather, climate, culture, architecture, and agriculture. As you will see, the geography of California is diverse; geographically, geologically, and culturally.
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Soils: A Practical Guide for Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Valerie Dantoin · Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
This textbook is for farmers and gardeners who want to understand and improve soil. It approaches soil from a practical viewpoint on how to conserve, improve, and build it. It covers the physical/structural characteristics, soil chemistry, soil organic matter, carbon, and nutrient flows/cycles, soil sampling/testing, both organic and conventional fertilizers, living soil biology, compost, livestock/manure’s role on the farm, and farm-scale and garden-size solutions to soil problems.
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Investigations in Climate Change
Neel Desai and Alicia Mullens · De Anza College
Built on the belief that learning works best hands-on, this Meteorology Laboratory Manual gives students a practical way to explore climate change through real principles, concepts, and historical data. Its flexible mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions works equally well in person or remote, with each investigation taking about 2 to 3 hours, ideal for a standard one-unit lab course, and point values instructors can easily adjust to fit their own needs.
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Oceanography
Hill et al. · University of California, Davis
Welcome to the Oceanography page! This wiki is a collaboration between current and former students at UC Davis, with Professor Tessa Hill. Content will include a broad survey of oceanography, including geological, chemical, physical and biological aspects, as well as significant content on major issues in Oceanography and human impacts on this environment.
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The Dynamic Earth
W. Jacquelyne Kious & Robert I. Tilling · U.S. Geological Survey
This booklet gives a brief introduction to the concept of plate tectonics and complements the visual and written information in This Dynamic Planet, a map published in 1994 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Smithsonian Institution. The booklet highlights some of the people and discoveries that advanced the development of the theory and traces its progress since its proposal. Although the general idea of plate tectonics is now widely accepted, many aspects still continue to confound an
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Introduction to Oceanography
Paul Webb · Roger Williams University
Introduction to Oceanography is a textbook appropriate to an introductory-level university course in oceanography. The book covers the fundamental geological, chemical, physical and biological processes in the ocean, with an emphasis on the North Atlantic region.
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GEL 98-16: Geobiology
Dawn Sumner · University of California, Davis
GEL 53: Introduction to Geobiology is required for Geology majors at UCD. This course is designed to be fully interactive. Geobiology is a new and growing field with an emphasis on how life and especially microbial communities interact with Earth throughout Earth history. This course provides students with a conceptual framework for how environments on Earth have shaped the evolution of life and how metabolic and other cellular processes have influenced Earth.