Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- CONTENTS -- FOREWORD -- PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- CHAPTER 1 Preview of the orbital perspective: the million-year day -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 A digital tectonic activity map of the Earth -- 1.3 Sea-surface satellite altimetry -- 1.4 Satellite measurement of plate motion and deformation -- 1.5 Satellite remote sensing -- 1.6 Satellite magnetic surveys -- 1.7 Origin and significance of the digital tectonic activity map -- CHAPTER 2 Space geodesy -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Space geodesy methods -- 2.3 Shape of the Earth -- 2.4 Gravity anomalies and global tectonics -- 2.5 Marine gravity and ocean-floor topography -- 2.6 Plate motion and deformation -- 2.7 Plate tectonics and continental drift -- 2.8 GPS measurements of crustal deformation -- 2.9 Earth rotation and expansion tectonics -- 2.10 Extraterrestrial gravity fields -- 2.10.1 Gravity field of the Moon -- 2.10.2 Gravity field of Mars -- 2.10.3 Gravity field of Venus -- 2.11 Summary -- CHAPTER 3 Satellite studies of geomagnetism -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Satellite investigations of the Earth's magnetic field -- 3.3 The main field -- 3.4 The crustal field -- 3.5 Extraterrestrial magnetic fields -- 3.6 Summary -- CHAPTER 4 Remote sensing: the view from space -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Orbital remote sensing in geology: a brief history -- 4.3 Tectonics and structural geology -- 4.3.1 Global tectonic activity map -- 4.3.2 Tectonics of southern Asia -- 4.3.3 Elsinore Fault -- 4.3.4 Lineament tectonics -- 4.4 Exploration geology -- 4.4.1 Petroleum exploration -- 4.4.2. Mineral exploration -- 4.5 Environmental geology -- 4.5.1 Active volcanism -- 4.5.2 Glacial geology -- 4.5.3 Aeolian geology and desertification -- 4.6 Summary -- CHAPTER 5 Impact cratering and terrestrial geology -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Hypervelocity impact.

5.3 Impact craters -- 5.4 Cratering studies and the space age -- 5.5 Origin of continents -- 5.6 Origin of ocean basins -- 5.7 Economic importance of terrestrial impact structures -- 5.8 Origin of the Sudbury Structure -- 5.9 Impacts and basaltic magmatism -- 5.10 Impacts and mass extinctions -- 5.11 Summary -- CHAPTER 6 Comparative planetology and the origin of continental crust -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Origin of the continental crust -- 6.3 Previous studies -- 6.3.1 Crustal province boundaries: are they sutures? -- 6.3.2 Ensialic greenstone belts -- 6.3.3 Terrane accretion vs. reworking -- 6.4 Thermal histories of planets -- 6.5 Crustal evolution in silicate planets -- 6.5.1 First differentiation -- 6.5.2 Late heavy bombardment -- 6.5.3 Second differentiation -- 6.5.4 Summary -- 6.6 A model of continental crust -- 6.5.1 First differentiation -- 6.5.2 Late heavy bombardment -- 6.5.3 Second differentiation -- 6.5.4 Summary -- 6.6 A model of continental crust -- 6.7 Evolution of the continental crust -- 6.7.1 Stage I: first differentiation -- 6.7.2 Stage II: second differentiation -- 6.8 Petrologic evolution of the Earth -- CHAPTER 7 Geology and biology: the influence of life on terrestrial geology -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Gaia -- 7.3 The geologic role of water -- 7.4 Gaia and geology -- 7.5 A biogenic theory of tectonic evolution -- 7.6 Summary -- AFTERWORD -- APPENDIX A Essentials of physical geology -- APPENDIX B Lunar missions, 1958 to 1994 (NASA History Office) -- APPENDIX C Planetary missions, 1961 to 1992 (NASA History Office) -- GLOSSARY OF GEOLOGIC TERMS -- SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY -- Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Chapter 6 -- Chapter 7 -- Afterword -- Glossary -- INDEX.