Glacial deposits

421 chapters devoted to the special problems of light etement analysis and the analysis of thin films and a chapter illustrating applications o f microprobe analysis in a wide variety of fields. An appendix contains necessary X-ray theory. Throughout there is coverage of the standard methods and latest developments. This is a reference book which will clearly have a place in every microprobe laboratory and the usefulness of the book for reference is increased by the particularly systematic and detailed list of contents. If any criticisms are to be made of this book they are on points of detail which do not reflect on the usefulness of the book as a whole. In general the author is correct in assuming that his readers already appreciate the position of microprobe analysis relative to other techniques so he launches into detail from the first page. The microprobe provides extremely detailed research information and it must be used selectively if it is to be used effectively. A n y newcomer to this technique needs to be told of the advantages and disadvantages of the technique and shown the place of the technique in relation to other analytical methods. A page of the introductory chapter should have been devoted to those readers. We are told that computer programs are available for quantitative analysis using K, L or M X-ray lines yet the chapter on the fluorescence correction concerns only K and L corrections corresponding to the present limit of this part of the correction technique developed by the author in 1969. The inability to apply the fluorescence correction to M X-rays is not clearly stated although it can be important in the analysis of Uranium and Thorium bearing minerals. The section on electronics for energy dispersive detectors should, in addition have dealt with the question of fixed or variable energy ranges for the multichannel analyser and made a comparison between "hardw i r e d " and " s o f t w i r e d " systems. A u t o m a t i c control of the mechanical operations of the microprobe is not discussed at all. This is an omission of a subject to which at least one chapter should have been devoted. John Bowles, London

ORIGIN

OF GLACIAL

DEPOSITS

Richard P. G o l d t h w a i t (Editor), 1975. Glacial Deposits. Vol. 21 of Benchmark Papers in Geology (R.W. Fairbridge, Editor). Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross, Stroudsburg, Pa. (Distributed by John Wiley and Sons, New Y o r k ) , 464 pp., U.S. $29.00. The series of Benchmark Papers in Geology has been appearing for some years as carefully grouped reprints of outstanding papers. This latest volume of the series addresses itself to the deposits made by glaciers, including both those being made today and those that are relict f r o m former glaciation. The emphasis is on the conditions and processes of origin rather than on the history and chronology of glacial sediments, and so the papers are strongly flavored with glaciology and physics. The selection of R.P. Goldthwait as editor of the volume guarantees the quality and coherence of the selections. The volume embraces 25 contributions by 30 authors, about half of them Americans. All the foreign papers are in English. The dates of original publication range through six decades, the earliest paper being the classic essay by Gerard de Geer on the deposition and measurement of the Swedish varves. Other contributions are as recent as 1973. The papers are reproduced by offset. This gives them -- especially the older ones -- personality of appearance, but more important, it makes page references possible, for original paginations are retained in addition to the cumulative pagination of the collection. There are, however, a good many excisions, necessitated by the need to keep the t e x t compact. Nothing important, apparently, has been lost through this policy. The papers are skilfully organized on a basis of loci of glacial deposition. There are six locus categories averaging about four papers each, embracing till and ground moraine, drumlins and fluted drift, end moraine, ice-contact and outwash features, and glacial lakes and varves. Each group of papers is accompanied by a set of comments by the Editor. These are thoughtfully conceived and pleasantly stated, and should be particularly useful to students.

422 The collection as a whole contains much basic information in one convenient volume. Most glacial geologists would agree that all the papers are important and that most of them stimulated new directions or new intensities of research. Of course no two editors would have chosen quite the same examples, but those chosen have been selected very capably. The volume will be useful for reference by researchers and for guided readings by advanced students. The cast of authors, in the order of their appearance, is: C.D. Holmes, G.S. Boulton, Ao Dreimanis and U.J. Vagners, L.D. Drake, D.M. Mickelson, S.R. Moran, G. Hoppe and W. Schytt, C.P. Gravenor, R. Reed et al., I.J. Smalley and D.J. Irwin, R.P. Goldthwait, J. Weertman, B. Stromberg, W.O. Kupsch, G. De Geer, n.J. Price, A. Hellaakoski, G.D. Mackenzie, S. Jewtuchowicz, C.P. Gravenor and W.O. Kupsch, K.F. Mather et al., R.K. Fahnestock, H.J. Fraser, and G.M. Ashley. R.F. Flint, New Haven, Conn.

EARTH-SCIENCES LAB MANUAL Garry D. McKenzie, Wayne A. Pettyjohn and Russell O. Utgard, 1975. Investigations in Environmental Geoscience. Burgess, Mineapolis, Minn., + 173 pp. + topographic maps and symbols sheet, U.S. $6.95. The first paragraph in the Preface is the key to the purpose and utility of this new undergraduate laboratory manual. It states that: "In the past half decade the interest and enrolment in environmental courses has increased greatly, not only in those biologically-oriented but also in those centered on, but not restricted to, the physical environment. Some of the latter courses travel under the banners of geology, geography, geomorphology, and hydrology, all modified by the term environment, and engineering geology. Such courses might more properly be grouped as environmental geoscience, since geoscience is a comprehensive term embracing all the sciences that concern the earth." This laboratory workbook attempts the task of retaining the practical nature and

content of traditional courses as well as providing an integrated oversight of the many disciplines which together form "all the sciences that concern the earth". This it achieves with the minimum of purely theoretical considerations, drawing the material for the exercises from "actual situations and field data". Many of the examples are wellknown, yet remain truly appropriate; others are new, utilizing data from ERTS satellites to study popular, but pertinent problems such as pollution. It is pleasant to note that the ideal of integrating the individual classical studies with "geoscience" has been realised in the manual, and not just in the authors' preface. The contents of the manual are divided into seven parts, with a total of nineteen exercises, each capable of being answered by average undergraduates within an hour. It would appear that the benefit of the exercises is both to supplement lectures and reading and to provide the stimulus for worthwhile tutorial and seminar periods. The seven parts deal with earth materials, maps and photographs; geologic hazards;' water resources; medical geology; energy and energy resources; solid waste management. and planning; many of which are phrases new to comparable literature. Each section has sufficient text to provide the "clues" for successful completion of the questions, and is well illustrated with monochrome maps, diagrams, statistics and photographs. Particularly useful to the more enquiring student is the relevant list of references. The exercises are supplemented with two appendices; one giving tables of units and conversions, the other, portions of USGS multicolour mapping sheets and map symbols. The manual largely achieves its purpose of bringing together the elements of earth sciences by citing typical and topical environmental problems, and by utilizing both established " f a c t " and accepted "predict io n " within its examples. It is quite clearly a publication for the United States undergraduate market; nevertheless its thesis could well be adopted by teachers of similar courses throughout the world. G.E.D. Cole, London