Description

Please scroll down for information on the option to purchase this title as an eBook.

This book is the first comprehensive account in English of the geology of Chile, providing a key reference work that brings together many years of research, and written mostly by Chilean authors from various universities and other centres of research excellence. The 13 chapters begin with a general overview, followed by detailed accounts of Andean tectonostratigraphy and magmatism, the amazingly active volcanism, the world class ore deposits that have proven to be so critical to the welfare of the country, and Chilean water resources.

The subject then turns to geophysics with an examination of neotectonics and earthquakes, the hazardous frequency of which is a daily fact of life for the Chilean population. There are chapters on the offshore geology and oceanography of the SE Pacific Ocean, subjects that continue to attract much research not least from those seeking to understand world climatic variations, and on late Quaternary land environments, concluding with an account examining human colonization of southernmost America.

The geological evolution of Chile is the c. 550 million year history of a continental margin over 4000 km long. During his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, an extended visit to Chile (1834-35) had a profound impact on Charles Darwin, especially on his understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Over more recent decades scientists have come to recognize the Chilean Andes as providing the classic example of a mountain belt produced by oceanic subduction beneath a continent, as well as some of the most dramatic scenic and climatic variations on Earth.

In the final chapter, the editors offer a description of a drive from the Mediterranean landscapes of central Chile to the hyperarid Atacama Desert, a contribution designed to give visitors a chance to experience for themselves the geology and scenery of this extraordinary country.

Errata for this title. Note: this figure has been corrected in the April 2022 reprint.

The purchase of a print copy of a book from the online bookshop does not include access to the eBook. All items listed on the online bookshop are physical products dispatched from our warehouse in Bath, UK.

Ebook purchase: This title is available for purchase as an ePub file for personal use. Please see the eBooks page on the Lyell Collection for more information and to make a purchase. The purchase of an eBook on the Lyell Collection site does not include a printed copy of the book. (Ebooks are not available as part of GSL member access or to institutional subscribers.)

More information and help page for pay-per-view.