LibGuides: College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) (OER Hub): GEOL 1050: Historical Geology & Lab (GEOL 1051)

OER Materials for Historical Geology

Historical Geology by Callan Bentley, Karen Layou, Russ Kohrs, Shelley Jaye, Matthew D. Affolter, and Brian Ricketts
Publication Date: 2020

A free online textbook for Historical Geology courses. This textbook is intended for undergraduate courses in Earth history.

The Story of Earth: An Observational Guide 2e by Daniel Hauptvogel and Virginia Sisson
Publication Date: 2023

This is an open-access lab manual for a historical geology lab focused on student observations. This is the second edition of our open-access lab manual for a historical geology lab released for the Fall 2023 semester.

The Dynamic Earth
This booklet gives a brief introduction to the concept of plate tectonics and complements the visual and written information in This Dynamic Planet, a map published in 1994 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Smithsonian Institution. Another version is also available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html

These related titles are also available:

Historical Geology (Wikibooks)
Caution: This book is hosted on Wikibooks (a platform with content that can be edited by anyone).

OER textbook, originally written in 2013 and last updated 2024. "This book has a single purpose: to explain how it is even possible to reconstruct the history of the Earth from data available in the present. The emphasis of this book is therefore methodological: rather than explaining what is known, we shall look at how it is known.

The Tectonic Plates Are Moving! by Roy Livermore
ISBN: 9780198847939

Publication Date: 2019-12-15

Plate tectonics is a revolutionary theory on a par with modern genetics. Yet, apart from the frequent use of clichés such as "tectonic shift" by economists, journalists, and politicians, the science itself is rarely mentioned and poorly understood. This book explains modern plate tectonics in a non-technical manner, showing not only how it accounts for phenomena such as great earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, but also how it controls conditions at the Earth's surface, including global geography and climate. The book presents the advances that have been made since the establishment of plate tectonics in the 1960s, highlighting, on the 50th anniversary of the theory, the contributions of a small number of scientists who have never been widely recognized for their discoveries.Beginning with the publication of a short article in Nature by Vine and Matthews, the book traces the development of plate tectonics through two generations of the theory. First generation plate tectonics covers the exciting scientific revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, its heroes and its villains. The second generation includes the rapid expansions in sonar, satellite, and seismic technologies during the 1980s and 1990s that provided a truly global view of the plates and their motions, and an appreciation of the role of the plates within the Earth "system". The final chapter bring us to the cutting edge of the science, and the latest results from studies using technologies such as seismic tomography and high-pressure mineral physics to probe the deep interior. Ultimately, the book leads to the startling conclusion that, without plate tectonics, the Earth would be as lifeless as Venus.
The Story of Life in 25 Fossils by Donald R. Prothero
ISBN: 9780231539425

Publication Date: 2015-08-25

Every fossil tells a story. Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous, beautifully preserved fossils in a gripping scientific history of life on Earth. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and fully interpreting their significance within the larger fossil record, Prothero creates a riveting history of life on our planet. The twenty-five fossils portrayed in this book catch animals in their evolutionary splendor as they transition from one kind of organism to another. We witness extinct plants and animals of microscopic and immense size and thrilling diversity. We learn about fantastic land and sea creatures that have no match in nature today. Along the way, we encounter such fascinating fossils as the earliest trilobite, Olenellus; the giant shark Carcharocles; the "fishibian" Tiktaalik; the "Frogamander" and the "Turtle on the Half-Shell"; enormous marine reptiles and the biggest dinosaurs known; the first bird, Archaeopteryx; the walking whale Ambulocetus; the gigantic hornless rhinoceros Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; and the Australopithecus nicknamed "Lucy," the oldest human skeleton. We meet the scientists and adventurers who pioneered paleontology and learn about the larger intellectual and social contexts in which their discoveries were made. Finally, we find out where to see these splendid fossils in the world's great museums. Ideal for all who love prehistoric landscapes and delight in the history of science, this book makes a treasured addition to any bookshelf, stoking curiosity in the evolution of life on Earth.
Breakthroughs in Geology by Graham Park
ISBN: 9781780466149

Publication Date: 2019-12-01

Geological research does not flow steadily onwards by means of small incremental advances but can be better understood as a series of significant discoveries or changes in interpretation that transformed the way we understand the Earth. Each of these changes or new ideas encouraged a burst of activity as researchers attempted to apply them more widely in order to test their universality, and thereby their validity as a scientific theory. Probably the best example of such a transformative idea is Plate Tectonics, which, although questioned at the time it was introduced, is now universally accepted as a general principleA large number of the subsequent advances in geological understanding have been based upon this breakthrough. Each of the 12 chapters in this book represents a new idea or discovery, which is discussed in its historical context. In each case the salient features of these ideas are described, together with some biographical details of the individual scientists credited with them - but also mentioning others whose role in the generation of the idea is perhaps not so obvious. Of instant appeal to geologists and other earth scientists interested in how their science evolved over time by means of a number of revolutionary ideas, this book also serves as a paradigm for the history of science across many disciplines.
History of Life by Richard Cowen
ISBN: 9781299159242

Publication Date: 2013-01-01

This text is designed for students and anyone else with an interest in the history of life on our planet. The author describes the biological evolution of Earth's organisms, and reconstructs their adaptations to the life they led, and the ecology and environment in which they functioned. On the grand scale, Earth is a constantly changing planet, continually presenting organisms with challenges. Changing geography, climate, atmosphere, oceanic and land environments set a stage in which organisms interact with their environments and one another, with evolutionary change an inevitable result. The organisms themselves in turn can change global environments: oxygen in our atmosphere is all produced by photosynthesis, for example. The interplay between a changing Earth and its evolving organisms is the underlying theme of the book. The book has a dedicated website which explores additional enriching information and discussion, and provides or points to the art for the book and many other images useful for teaching. See: www.wiley.com/go/cowen/historyoflife.

Peay Search logo

Many more eBooks are available to access through PeaySearch. Try this strategy that searches for the subject keyword "historical geology" in books that are available online. You could also search for specific keywords such as "plate tectonics" or fossils.

Woodward Library has full-text electronic access to current issues of the following titles (in addition to many other related journals and magazines).

Geological Journal
Geological Journal publishes interdisciplinary research across all branches of the geological sciences, including sedimentology and geomorphology, palaeontology, Quaternary geology and environmental change, tectonics and structural geology, geochemistry and geochronology, igneous and metamorphic geology, resources, environment and sustainability, conventional, unconventional alternate energy, geohazards, and artificial intelligence in gesociences among other themes.
Geology
Geology has been the Web of Science's #1 ranked "geology" journal for 15 years in a row.

The journal Geology publishes timely, innovative, and provocative articles relevant to its international audience, representing research from all fields of the geosciences. It is published by the Geological Society of America.
Geology Today
Geology Today is a magazine published by Wiley on behalf of the Geological Society of London and the Geologists' Association. Geology Today covers subjects of current interest in the Earth Sciences.
Open Journal of Geology
Open Journal of Geology (OJG) is an open, international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the latest advancements in geology.

A list of journals categorized with the subject Geology can be found in PeaySearch. Some of these may include:

Anthropocene Review
Earth, Planets and Space
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene
Geochronology
Geological Journal
Geosphere
Journal of Geology
Lithosphere
Sedimentology
Solid Earth
Terra Nova

A list of other Geology podcasts is available from FeedSpot.

The following examples are available from free video services and library subscriptions.

Description: The video above is provided through Alexander Street Academic Video Online: Premium and is available to students through a subscription provided by Woodward Library. It provides access to thousands of videos with captions included. Students will need to authenticate with their library username and password when accessing these titles off-campus.

Academic Video Online: Premium
Streaming video for all subjects
Academic Video Online (AVON) delivers more than 66,000 video titles spanning the widest range of subject areas including anthropology, history, business, counseling, dance, ethnic studies, gay and lesbian studies, film, opera, religion, theatre, and more. AVON includes every kind of video material available with curricular relevance: documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, field recordings, commercials, and raw footage. Users will find thousands of award-winning films, including Academy®, Emmy®, and Peabody® winners as well as the most frequently used films for classroom instruction, plus newly released films and previously unavailable archival material. Publishers include A&E, Bullfrog Films, HISTORY®, Sony Pictures Classics, BroadwayHD™, 60 Minutes, PBS, BBC, Milestone Films and many more.

*Complete details for Academic Video Online: Premium including a full bibliography can be found at www.alexanderstreet.com/avon . A guide is available at http://proquest.libguides.com/AVON

More videos on the subject of Geology are available at the library database above. It features a new tool from ASP called Video Interaction Functionality that is now available to faculty members. This functionality promotes student engagement by allowing professors to embed assessment and pedagogical tools within the videos.

The playlist Geologic Time is available along with many other geology videos on the GeoScience Videos YouTube channel.

Digital Atlas of Ancient Life
Site managed by the Paleontological Research Institution, and supported by the National Science Foundation to help dentify fossils and explore the diversity and history of life on Earth. Teaching resources section includes classroom lesson plans, activities, and associated materials that relate to the Ordovician, Cretaceous, and Neogene Atlases. Not openly licensed but educational use encouraged.
Geology Online Lab Activities: An Open Educational Resource for Community College Students and Instructors
This open educational resource collects many of Dr. Davies’ favorite open-access materials and supplements them with her own work within a single, cohesive laboratory manual intended for two-year, non-major college students
Radioactive Dating Game
Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half life work to enable radiometric dating.

Geology Research Guide
by Michael Hooper Last Updated Mar 31, 2025 21 views this year

GeoRef
Geology and all related subjects
*lists citations and summaries of journal articles, government publications, and books

*covers geology and related disciplines

*covers items published from 1785 to present for North America and from 1933 to present for the rest of the world
Emergency Disasters Data Base (Em-Dat)
Mass disasters in the world from 1900 to present
*maintained by the Collaborating Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED

*search by country of origin or type of disaster

*covers over 12,800 mass disasters from 1900-present
Environmental Studies (Gale in Context)
Understand environmental issues that affect people globally through topic overviews, journals, news, and multimedia content.
Gale In Context: Environmental Studies provides detailed information on current environmental issues and processes from both a scientific and a social standpoint.

From climate change to automobile emissions, today’s environmental issues determine the destiny of tomorrow’s world. Gale In Context: Environmental Studies provides users with comprehensive information, empowering learners to critically analyze and understand important topics that affect people around the world. Explore topics and events within Earth systems, global change, pollution, populations, and more.

Integrating case studies, news, reference materials, academic journals, videos, and more, Environmental Studies is updated daily with relevant information. The resource offers nearly 400 topic, state, and province pages across the science, social studies, and humanities curriculum, including Water Privatization, Ecotourism, Air Pollution, Green Economy, and more.
Sustainability (JSTOR)
Research on environmental stresses and their impact on society
JSTOR Sustainability is a collection of journals, e-books, and research reports that provide multiple perspectives on environmental issues. The collection covers over 20 disciplines, including the Biological Sciences, Business & Economics, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Public Health, and Urban Studies.

The Sustainability collection on JSTOR is a growing and highly interdisciplinary set of content. The collection includes:

More than 140 journals in the core disciplines of environmental studies, business & economics, law, environmental science, aquatic and biological sciences, ecology, and urban studies and the built environment.

5,000 research reports from a minimum of 40 leading think tanks around the world (2,000 available now, more coming later in 2017-2018). The often hard-to-find research reports will include policy briefs, technical papers, white papers, and discussion papers from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, corporations, policy institutions, and academic centers.

10 open access journals (two available in early 2017, more coming soon)

More than 350 scholarly ebooks spanning the wide ranges of disciplines in the collection.