Includes maps, photographs, and photomontages for every celestial body visited by a NASA spacecraft during the past forty years, and provides descriptions, historical background, and other information. (view table of contents)

Includes maps, photographs, and photomontages for every celestial body visited by a NASA spacecraft during the past forty years, and provides descriptions, historical background, and other information (view table of contents)

This introduction to planetary geology concentrates on the surface features of the planets and satellites of our Solar System. The author first discusses the primary processes that shape our planet, Earth, and the geomorphology of the objects in the Solar System. The second edition includes new information about Venus and a new chapter on Neptune. The book is beautifully illustrated with high-resolution black-and-white photographs from recent space probes and orbiting spacecraft, and with explanatory diagrams. Each chapter starts with a description of the general physiography and terrain units, then the geomorphic processes that created them are discussed. Finally a synopsis of the geologic evolution of the surface is given. The selected references at the end include original papers, review articles and books.

This book gives an account of geological aspects of windblown material. Aeolian processes play an important role in modifying the surface of the Earth, and they are also active on Mars. Additionally, they are thought to occur on Venus and possibly Titan as well. The authors describe the following aspects: wind as a geological process, the aeolian environment, physics of particle motion, aeolian abrasion and erosion; aeolian sand deposits and bedforms, interaction of wind and topography and windblown dust. A particular strength of the book is that it deals with aeolian processes in a planetary context, rather than as a purely terrestrial phenomenon. In so doing, the authors ably demonstrate how we can gain better understanding of the Earth through comparative planetology. This paperback reissue will enable the book to be used as a text for advanced students in planetary science. Special terms are defined when they are first used. There is a glossary and an exhaustive bibliography.