Intended for Earth scientists and historians of science, this well-illustrated book recounts the development of the understanding of magnetic, electric, gravitational, seismic, thermal, geodynamic and radioactive phenomena; the subsequent emergence of ‘physics of the Earth’ (which became ‘geophysics’) as a unique study area, and its instrumentation. Biographical information is given for many of the investigators.

This volume provides a landmark documentation of Jurassic sequence stratigraphy in the North Sea Basin, onshore UK and adjacent regions of the British Isles. It includes detailed sequence descriptions, historical syntheses and updated lithostratigraphy and biozonation schemes, all illustrated by numerous case studies, maps, well displays, seismic lines and biozonation charts.

This Memoir is the first dedicated to the Antarctic mantle. It is a cross-disciplinary reference work combining geochemistry and geophysics to characterize Antarctic mantle properties. Through observations and modelling the mantle structures, compositions and dynamics are characterized at regional and continental scales by subject experts. The Memoir reviews all known occurrences of sub-continental mantle xenoliths in igneous rocks. These studies are presented by region as southern or northern Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land, the Antarctic Peninsula, East Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic Islands. Sub-oceanic mantle in tectonically emplaced and abyssal settings is also considered where known. This is complemented by a continental-scale mantle xenolith overview, mantle characteristics from igneous rocks and a quantitative mantle fabric study. State-of-the-art, continental-scale geophysical overviews of the Antarctic mantle are presented by discipline as seismology, gravity and magnetics, magnetotellurics, rheology, glacial isostatic adjustment, mantle convection and palaeotopography. This Memoir will be the reference for all researchers interested in the Antarctic mantle and its role in dynamics that shape the Antarctic surface and ice sheets.

This volume is the fifth in the definitive series, The History of the Study of Landforms or the Development of Geomorphology . Volume 1 (1964) dealt with contributions to the field up to 1890, Volume 2 (1973) with the concepts and contributions of William Morris Davis and Volume 3 (1991) covered historical and regional themes during the ‘classic’ period of geomorphology (1890–1950). Volume 4 (2008) concentrated on studies of geomorphological processes and Quaternary geomorphology between 1890 and 1965; by the end of this period, process-based studies had become dominant. Volume 5 builds on this platform, covering in detail the revolutionary changes in approach that characterized the study of geomorphology in the second half of the twentieth century. It is divided into three sections: the first deals with changes in approach and method; the second with changes in ideas and the broader scientific context within which geomorphology is studied; and the final section details advances in research on processes and landforms. The volume's objective is to describe and analyse many of the developments that provide a foundation for the rich and varied subject matter of twenty-first century geomorphology.

This memoir is the first to review all of Antarctica's volcanism between 200 million years ago and the Present. The region is still volcanically active. The volume is an amalgamation of in-depth syntheses, which are presented within distinctly different tectonic settings. Each is described in terms of (1) the volcanology and eruptive palaeoenvironments; (2) petrology and origin of magma; and (3) active volcanism, including tephrochronology. Important volcanic episodes include: astonishingly voluminous mafic and felsic volcanic deposits associated with the Jurassic break-up of Gondwana; the construction and progressive demise of a major Jurassic to Present continental arc, including back-arc alkaline basalts and volcanism in a young ensialic marginal basin; Miocene to Pleistocene mafic volcanism associated with post-subduction slab-window formation; numerous Neogene alkaline volcanoes, including the massive Erebus volcano and its persistent phonolitic lava lake, that are widely distributed within and adjacent to one of the world's major zones of lithospheric extension (the West Antarctic Rift System); and very young ultrapotassic volcanism erupted subglacially and forming a world-wide type example (Gaussberg).

The geology of the Oman Mountains, including the Jabal Akhdar and Saih Hatat domes, is extraordinarily well-exposed and diverse, spanning a geological record of more than 800 Ma. The area is blessed with first-class outcrops and is well known in the geological community for its ophiolite. The Oman Mountains have much more to offer; including, Neoproterozoic diamictites (“Snowball Earth”), fossil-rich Permo-Mesozoic carbonates and metamorphic rocks. The arid climate and deep incision of wadis allow for nearly complete rock exposure which can be investigated in all three dimensions. The diverse geology is also responsible for the breathtaking landscape. New roads and the nature of the friendly Omani people make fieldwork unforgettable. This Memoir provides a thorough state-of-the-art overview of the geology and tectonics of the Southeastern Oman Mountains, and is accompanied by an over-sized geological map and a correlation chart.

This Memoir provides a thorough regional synthesis of the geology of the rimmed Arabian Intrashelf Basin, reconciling differing interpretations of lithostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy. Variation of energy levels and facies due to its setting in the SE palaeotradewind belt are described. The intrashelf basin formed during rising sea level as a single rimmed carbonate intrashelf basin. A possible global cooling phase resulted in a lowstand which restricted the basin, resulting in petrographically unique carbonate source rock facies dominated by cyanobacterial deposition. Two subsequent third-order carbonate sequences largely filled the basin. Eustatic change concomitant with uplift of the Tethys shelf resulted in alternation of carbonates and evaporites (gypsum-anhydrite) across the region. The end result was a sealed intrashelf basin which preserved early formed porosity and confined generated hydrocarbons within the intrashelf basin facies.

Geological Society Memoir 52 records the extraordinary journey of more than 50 years that has led to the development of some 458 oil and gas fields on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). It contains papers on almost 150 onshore and offshore fields in all of the UK's main petroliferous basins. These papers range from look-backs on some of the first-developed gas fields in the Southern North Sea, to papers on fields that have only just been brought into production or may still remain undeveloped, and includes two candidate CO 2 sequestration projects. These papers are intended to provide a consistent summary of the exploration, appraisal, development and production history of each field, leading to the current subsurface understanding which is described in greater detail. As such, the Memoir will be an enduring reference source for those exploring for, developing, producing hydrocarbons and sequestering CO 2 on the UKCS in the coming decades. It encapsulates the petroleum industry's deep subsurface knowledge accrued over more than 50 years of exploration and production.

This memoir summarizes current knowledge on the geology of New Caledonia, its geodynamic evolution and mineral resources, based on published and unpublished information. It comprises ten research papers, each addressing a particular geological assemblage or topic. After an introductory chapter and a review of the published geodynamic models of evolution of the SW Pacific, Chapters 3-5 focus on the main geological assemblages of Grande Terre: the pre-Late Cretaceous basement terranes, the Late Cretaceous to Eocene cover, and the Eocene Subduction-Obduction Complex, one of the largest and best-preserved in the world. Chapter 6 is devoted to the Loyalty Islands and Ridge. Chapter 7 deals with the mostly terrestrial post-obduction units, including regolith. Chapter 8 deals with palaeobiogeography and discusses plausible scenarios of biotic evolution. Chapters 9 and 10 provide a comprehensive review of New Caledonia's mineral resources. The volume will be of interest to stratigraphers, sedimentologists, marine geologists, palaeontologists, palaeogeographers, igneous and metamorphic petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists, and specialists in tectonics, geodynamic evolution, regoliths, ophiolites and economic geology.

Abstract The solid rock mass of Sweden forms a natural field laboratory revealing insight into the westward growth and reworking of one of the planet's ancient continental nuclei. Three major geological units are exposed in different parts of the country: the western part of the Fennoscandian Shield, mainly sedimentary rocks deposited on this crystalline rock mass and the Caledonide orogen. This volume synthesizes the tectonic evolution of Sweden over more than 2500 million years from the Neoarchean to the Neogene. Following an introduction describing the lithotectonic framework of the country and the organization of the volume, the tectonic evolution is addressed essentially chronologically. Different phases of intracratonic rifting, accretionary orogeny, continent–continent collisional orogeny and platformal sedimentation are identified. Sweden is one of Europe's major suppliers of metals, and the country's mineral resources are also presented in the context of the lithotectonic framework. Sweden: Lithotectonic Framework, Tectonic Evolution and Mineral Resources has been designed to interest a professional geoscientific audience and advanced students of Earth Sciences.

Abstract This volume presents a set of research papers that provide new data and interpretations of the Permian–Triassic terranes of SE Gondwana, now exposed in South Island, New Zealand. Following an introduction for general readers, a historical summary and a review of biostratigraphy, the individual papers primarily focus on the Permian magmatic arc of the Brook Street Terrane, the classic Permian Dun Mountain ophiolite and the Permian–Triassic Maitai Group sedimentary succession. The new results emphasize the role of subduction and terrane displacement adjacent to the Permo-Triassic Gondwana margin, and present fundamental insights into three crustal processes: subduction initiation, supra-subduction zone oceanic crust genesis and forearc basin evolution. The volume concludes with a wide-ranging summary and synthesis of the regional Cambrian to Early Cretaceous tectonostratigraphy of New Zealand's South Island in relation to the wider areas of Zealandia, East Australia and West Antarctica. The volume will interest geoscientists, including stratigraphers, sedimentologists, palaeontologists, igneous petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists and economic geologists, and is aimed at professional geologists and advanced students of geology.

Abstract Rocks exposed across the hundreds of islands that belong to the 800 km long Andaman–Nicobar archipelago provide a condensed window into the active subduction zone that separates the India–Australia plate from the over-riding Burma–Sunda plate. Despite a strategic and seismically active location the Andaman-Nicobar ridge has seen comparatively little research. This Memoir provides the first detailed and comprehensive account of geological mapping and research across the island chain and adjacent ocean basins. Chapters examine models of Cenozoic rifting of the Andaman Sea and the regional tectonic and seismogenic framework. A detailed critical review of the Andaman–Nicobar stratigraphy, supported by new data, includes arc volcanism and a description of Barren Island, India’s only active volcano. Seismic history and hazards and the impacts of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami are also described. The volume ends with an examination of the region’s natural resources and hydrocarbon prospects.

Abstract New geophysical techniques (multibeam echo sounding and 3D seismics) have revolutionized high-resolution imaging of the modern seafloor and palaeo-shelf surfaces in Arctic and Antarctic waters, generating vast quantities of data and novel insights into sedimentary architecture and past environmental conditions. The Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms is a comprehensive and timely summary of the current state of knowledge of these high-latitude glacier-influenced systems. The Atlas presents over 180 contributions describing, illustrating and discussing the full variability of landforms found on the high-latitude glacier-influenced seafloor, from fjords and continental shelves to the continental slope, rise and deep-sea basins beyond. The distribution and geometry of these submarine landforms provide key information on past ice-sheet extent and the direction and nature of ice flow and dynamics. The papers discuss individual seafloor landforms, landform assemblages and entire landsystems from relatively mild to extreme glacimarine climatic settings and on timescales from the modern margins of tidewater glaciers, through Quaternary examples to ancient glaciations in the Late Ordovician.

Abstract With the social, political and economic changes taking place in Myanmar (formerly Burma) there is a keen interest among international resource companies to explore opportunities for investment in the country. As early as the 1700s oil was being produced onshore from deep, hand-dug wells and was exported as far afield as India. But in the petroleum sector the most dramatic change has been the discovery offshore of major gasfields. The present volume is the first to bring together information on the offshore as well as the onshore petroleum geology. The readership is likely to include not only those in the petroleum industry seeking an overview of the habitat of Myanmar’s oil and gas, but also researchers in the broader field of SE Asian geology. As in many parts of the world, it has been the petroleum industry that has provided data of value to stratigraphers, structural geologists and those seeking to decipher the tectonic history of the region.

Abstract The Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean is composed of nine volcanic islands and São Miguel is the largest and most volcanically active. During the past 5000 years several eruptions have taken place on the three active central volcanoes – Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas – and in the basaltic fissure systems of Picos and Congro. There is evidence that Furnas was in eruption when the first settlers arrived some time between 1439 and 1443. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there were two explosive sub-Plinian eruptions, Fogo in 1563 and Furnas in 1630. The last eruption on land occurred in the Picos Fissural Volcanic System in 1652, involving the extrusion of lava domes. In 22 chapters, this volume considers the volcanic geology of the island under the headings of geological setting, volcanic history, geological hazards and risk assessment, volcano monitoring and natural resources.

Abstract This Memoir provides a comprehensive review of the Precambrian basins of the four Archaean nuclei of India (Dharwar, Bastar, Singhbhum and Aravalli-Bundelkhand), encompassing descriptions of the time–space distribution of sedimentary–volcanic successions, the interrelationship between tectonics and sedimentation, and basin histories. Studies of 22 basins within the framework of an international basin classification scheme deepen an understanding of the basin architecture especially for cratonic basins. Most Indian sedimentary successions formed as cratonic to extensional-margin rift and thermal-sag basins, some reflecting mantle plume movement, subcrustal heating or far-field stress. This Memoir shows that Phanerozoic plate-tectonic and sequence stratigraphic principles can be applied to the Precambrian basins of large Archaean provinces. The differences between the stratigraphic architecture of the Indian Precambrian and examples of Phanerozoic basin-fill successions elsewhere are ascribed to variable rates and intensities of the controls on accommodation and sediment supply, and changes inherent in the evolution of the hydrosphere–atmosphere and biosphere systems.

Abstract This Memoir reviews, revises and interprets the biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, process sedimentology, palaeoenvironments and sequence stratigraphy of the classic Cambrian succession of SW Wales. This 1250 m thick clastic sedimentary succession, of Terreneuvian to Furongian age, was deposited in environments ranging from alluvial fan to mid–outer shelf. Two lithostratigraphical groups are distinguished, each comprising six formations; where possible and appropriate, original and well-known names are retained in harmony with current usage. High-resolution sequence-stratigraphical techniques, constrained by biostratigraphical data whenever possible, allow the revised lithostratigraphy to be integrated with the western Avalonian chronostratigraphy developed in maritime Canada. A twofold subdivision is recognized. Megasequence 1 (sequences 3–7) spans the Terreneuvian, C2 and much of C3, with deposition occurring in an extensional rift-like regime on an epeirogenically active platform. Sequence 8 lies at the base of Megasequence 2, which extends from late C3 into the early Ordovician, and represents passive margin sedimentation.

Abstract Rocky landforms dominate large portions of the world's coast. Cliffs and shore platforms form spectacular landscapes, yet when compared to other landforms they are relatively unstudied with many contemporary controversies dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. The past decade has seen a reinvigoration of research driven by advances in technology that now enable precise measurements of erosion to the micron scale and quantification of wave energy onto and through cliff edifices to be made, as well as being able to directly date rock surfaces. In order to integrate this diverse range of research this volume's regional approach first integrates the latest data with longstanding theory and then analyses this research through the boundary conditions that exist in each area. The volume brings together the research leaders in the field; includes chapters on nearly all the major rock coasts of the world and identifies future research needs.

Abstract The 1995 to present eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano on Montserrat is one of the most important and best-studied eruptions of an explosive andesitic volcano. This volume presents scientific findings from the period between 2000 and 2010; it follows on from Memoir 21, which focused on the early years of activity between 1995 and 1999. In addition to descriptions and analysis of the growth, collapse and explosions associated with lava domes, there are papers on the deformation of the volcano caused by the deep magma, the petrology and geochemistry of the lavas and associated gases. Of particular note are: an overview of the insights into the deep structure of the volcano that resulted from a major international seismic tomography experiment; and an analysis of the quantitative risk assessment process that has run now for most of the eruption, the longest such continuous assessment in the world.