Quaternary geology & the environment (Praxis books, geophysical sciences)

Quaternary studies have been considerably developed for the last twenty years or so and research has progressively extended througout the world. Investigative techniques have been refined and geological sections are now analysed with sophisticated tools. In this book the Quaternary is described through the different natural environments which always characterised the Earth, but which fluctuated during the Quaternary, due to climatic variations. There are chapters on prehistory and stratigraphy with chronological tables, Quaternary volcanism and inlandsis.

Introduction. Originality and variety of the quaternary. End of the tertiary and prologue to the quaternary. Terrestrial upheavals. Fluctuations in polar, circumpolar and temperate environments. Mediterranean environments. Fauna and man : reflections of glacial and interglacial episodes. Arid subtropical regions and hot deserts. Wet tropical environments. Modern oceans. Quaternary climates. General conclusion. Bibliographical references. Index.