Naomi OreskesPlate Tectonics: An Insider's History Of The Modern Theory Of The Earth

This book is way too technical for the layman. I had an introductory class in geology in college which did not address plate tectonics and I had difficulty in keeping up with the terminology in this book. I was able to manage a rudimentary understanding of this book. Here is what I got out of this book. Plate tectonics on the oceanic mantle is basically the movement of basalt rock from the mantle to the surface at rifting valleys extruding molten rock that shoves upper rock aside in the process creates a bulge. As the oceanic rift builds up, gravity starts the process of moving the oceanic mantle on each side of the rift. Another force acting on the oceanic mantle are convection currents from the molten interior that acts on the bottom of the oceanic mantle pushing away from rifting valley in each direction. The friction between oceanic mantle and the molten mantle causes the oceanic mantle to move in the same direction that gravity is pushing the oceanic mantle. As the oceanic mantle travels further away from the rifting valley, it becomes level in which case, gravity is not contributing to the motion of the oceanic mantle. Now, I don’t clearly understood the extrusion of the molten rock at the rift produces any forces, if it did, it would probably be minor. Now as the oceanic mantle is being pushed by gravity near the rifting bulge and the convections currents, it finally reaches a continental plate in such case the oceanic mantle is sub ducted under the continental plate in which gravity now comes back into play pulling the oceanic mantle back into the interior of liquid mantle. With the forces of gravity and convection currents along with immense amount of time, continents drift, tectonic plates grind against each other along with being sub ducted and Earth will change causing changes in environment along with the changes in life. We are the products of this continental drifting.

Bought this book on the basis of rave reviews but found it in part disappointing. In early text an illustration is repeated three times but barely used in adjoining articles. The wonderful results of the Eltanin-19 are cited several times, but there is no map. Some illustrations are presented, obviously from a previous article, at too small a scale to be readable, and some refer to another figure that isn't there. Mixed reviews as to the articles, though some are outstandingly clear and certainly the principal players are there. I'm a geologist and long-time map addict, hence my views may be biased! And I was introduced to drift in a college course by a wonderful teacher in 1942 and have followed the development of PT ever since with great fascination - from the middle of the continent.

A little disappointing in the writing, but a must-read if you're interested in the development of plate tectonic theory. Thank you Naomi Oreskes!

Very informitive.

Accounts written by the individuals directly involved in the generation of a new way of looking at the earth. The authors present a clear picture, when taken together, of the various measurements, evidence, and intellectual efforts that went into the discovery that the surface of the earth is continually changing, and how.

Exciting atmosphere in research labs are well reflected. Last chapter describing current status of geology and related field is very interesting with some author's concern in future.

I really enjoyed the book, it gives you the view the scientific articles dont give, I love the personal notes, the views of the scientists that wrote the different chapters, and the insights on their personalities and character which the scientific articles always are void of. You learn things about plate tectonics that are not in the books and makes you remember what is good science and how it is done.A must for any earth science student,but also for any science lecturer.

I initially read this book from the public library and liked it so well, I decided to buy it for my technical library. It is an excellent history of how our understanding of plate tectonics developed and the tremendous contributions made by the scientists who worked on the various aspects of it.

Provide a historic overview to a major scientific achievement.

Timely, great book!