Geological Field Techniques

Abstract

Angela L. Coe, Editor, Tom W. Argles, David A. Rothery, and Robert A. Spicer. 2010. Wiley-Blackwell and The Open University. 336 Pp. ISBN 978-1-4443-3062-5, Paperback, $59.95. ISBN 978-1-4443-3061-8, Hardcover, $150. Geological Field Techniques is a concise textbook, aimed primarily at undergraduates studying geology and earth sciences, that assumes a basic understanding of the main concepts and theory in geology. The authors are professors at the Open University, and they provide examples of work by themselves and their students. The geologic approach is broad, with a British emphasis. The writing and organization are excellent, and the format is that of a modern textbook with a single, wide column of text with an adjacent smaller column with photos, notes, and explanations. The book is profusely illustrated with photos of rock exposures, diagrams, worked examples, and examples of field notes and geologic maps both constructed in the field and redrafted. The illustrations are generally clear, but the field notebook examples are reproductions of actual professor and student notes that range from neatly organized and executed to somewhat cryptic, incomplete, and somewhat illegible; the reader can compare some of these low-contrast copies of pencil-written notes with the beautifully executed engineering-style lettering of Compton’s (1985) text. Nonetheless, one of the main strengths of this textbook is to …