Vanished Ocean: How Tethys Reshaped the World

ISBN-13: 9780199214297 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 320 str.

He Institute of Petroleum Engineering Dorrik (ECOSSE Chair

Opis

Six million years ago, a vast ocean--which scientists have named Tethys--vanished from the face of the earth. Vanished Ocean tells the fascinating story of Tethys, offering an illuminating account of the scientific evidence for the ocean's existence. World-renowned geologist and oceanographer Dorrik Stow describes the powerful forces that shaped the ocean; the marine life it once held and the rich deposits of oil that life left behind; and the impact of its currents on environment and climate. The story of Tethys is also a story of extraordinary episodes such as the virtual drying up of the Mediterranean, before being filled again by a dramatic cascade of water over the straits of Gibraltar. Along the way, Stow reveals how geologists and oceanographers spent years proving the former existence of Tethys, from a remarkable series of clues locked away in rocks now exposed high up in mountain ranges and buried in sediments deep beneath today's oceans. Indeed, these myriad clues are now scattered from the depths of the Caspian Sea to the highest Himalayan peaks.

Recenzje

A well argued contribution to one of the great scientific debates of the last 30 years.

O autorze

Dorrik Stow is ECOSSE Chair and Professor at Heriot-Watt University. He was previously Professor of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. His main research interests are energy and environmental research for ECOSSE (Edinburgh Consortium for Subsurface Science and Engineering), past environmental change, and the role of geosciences for international development. He has published over 200 research publications and eight books including Encyclopedia of the Oceans (OUP, 2005).