Summary
Here is a captivating new introduction to the world's most fascinating caves. Caves explores every nook and cranny of these nature-made creations, including lava caves, sea caves, and glacial caves, from Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, to the amazing Paleolithic paintings of Lascaux, to Fingal's Cave of Scotland, which inspired Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. Engrossing facts about the geologic origins of these underground voids, their astonishing speleothems, or formations, such as stalactites and stalagmites, and the microscopic extremophile organisms that dwell within are enhanced by exciting black-and-white photographs, a full-color insert, and a wealth of other educational resources for further exploration. "In the Field" sections discuss fluid dynamics, carbon-14 dating, mud polarity, volcanic tremors, and additional related subjects.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs and line illustrations. 8-page, full-color insert. Further reading. Web sites. Sidebars. Glossary. Index. Glossary. Index.
About the Author(s)
Jeanne K. Hanson is a science journalist with degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University. She is the author of several books in the area of natural history and speaks regularly on the subject on Minnesota Public Radio.
The foreword was written by Geoffrey H. Nash, a geologists with wide experience in surface mapping of rock formations, oil and gas exploration, environmental engineering, and surface water quality. Nash also has interests in paleontology, fossils, and natural selection. He received a B.A. from Knox College in Illinois and an M.B.A. from Boston University.