B()()K REVIEWS
However, we really should emphasise what
there is in this encyclopedia rather than what
there isn't. The sheer volume of information
contained in this book is enormous and
wide-ranging. As a general source of infor-
mation this encyclopedia will generally be a
very useful reference for students and others
seeking summarised information on a wide
range of earth science topics.
J.M. Aldred and T.J. Horscroft, Leiden
Coal Geology
P.C. Lyons and B. Alpern (Editors), 1989.
Coal." Classification, Coalification, Mineral-
ogy, Trace-element Chemistry, and Oil and
Gas Potential. Elsevier Science Publishers,
Amsterdam. Hardcover xiv + 687 pp. US
$176.25./Dfl 335,- ISBN 0-444-88011-9
This fine collection of papers should lay to
rest the notion that coal science is an oxy-
moron or that its best days went out with
brass microscopes. There's some good sci-
ence here.
This book is an outgrowth of a symposium
held at the 28th International Geological
Congress in Washington, D.C. in July 1989.
The papers were originally published as a
special issue of the International Journal of
Coal Geology (1989, vol. 13, nos. 1-4).
Twenty-two papers have been organized into
five parts. Part I contains two papers on coal
classification. Part II contains five papers on
the early stages of coalification (lignite to
subbituminous coal). Part III, on the late
stages of coalification (bituminous and an-
thracitic coal) has 10 papers. Part IV, on coal
mineralogy and trace-element chemistry,
contains two papers. Part V contains three
papers dealing with the oil and gas potential
of coal.
This book is truly an international effort.
The authors represent thirteen countries
from six continents. The only major coal-pro-
ducing areas not represented are the former
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. With such
a broad array of foreign authors, it is a credit
05
to the editors (from the United States and
France) that the papers are uniformly read-
able.
In the first paper, Alpern et al. provide a
progress report on the Alpern Coal Classifi-
cation System. (This is the only paper that
suffers from several poor-quality illustra-
tions.) In the first of several papers dealing
with regional coal studies, Corr~a da Silva
notes that rank parameters established for
Northern Hemisphere coals do not work for
South Brazilian Gondwana coals.
The editors succeed admirably in provid-
ing a geographically broad and comprehen-
sive treatment of coal classification and coal-
ification. The early stages of coalification are
ably treated by Stout et al. and in two papers
by Hatcher et al., who use modern analytical
techniques such as solid-state ~3C NMR-mass
spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatogra-
phy.
Regional coalification studies include that
of Black who discusses petrographic and
coalification variations in New Zealand lig-
nites. Jin and Qin discuss anomalous coalifi-
cation in China of what may be the world's
youngest coal. The thermal setting of Car-
boniferous coal basins in Europe is discussed
by Robert. Coalification patterns and timing
of coalification in Canada are discussed in
four papers: (1) Hacquebard and Cameron
provide a sweeping overview of all the major
Canadian bituminous and anthracitic coal
fields; (2) Kalkreuth et al. describe regional
coalification patterns of Lower Cretaceous
coal-bearing strata in western Canada; (3)
the geology, characteristics and coalification
history of anthracitic coal in the Canadian
Cordillera are described by Bustin and Mof-
fat; and (4) again focusing on the Canadian
Cordillera coals, Bustin and England exam-
ine the relations between coalification and
thrust faulting.
Levine and Davis use vitrinite reflectance
anisotropy in Appalachian coals to decipher
the relation between coalification and tec-
tonism. Snyman and Barclay discuss the role
of magmatic activity in influencing coalifica-
60
tion in South Africa. The influence of tecton-
ism on Australian coals is discussed by Mid-
dleton and Hunt. Coalification of Indian
coals is discussed by C h a n d r a and
Chakrabarti. The characteristics of Japanese
coals, formed in an active orogenic belt, are
described by Takahashi and Aihara.
The book falls short in its treatment of
coal minerals( Ward discusses minerals in
Australian and Illinois basin coals), trace ele-
ments (Lyons et al. discuss minor and trace
elements in vitrinite concentrates), petroleum
potential (Littke and Ten Haven describe
Ruhr basin coals; Bertrand describes North
Sea Jurassic coals) and gas potential (Rice et
al. report on coal-derived hydrocarbons in
the Western United States). These papers
are not necessarily of poorer quality than
those on coalification but individual papers
simply cannot do justice to such broad topics.
The shortcomings of the book, such as
typographical errors and editorial oversights,
are few and far between. Perhaps the most
obvious is the cumbersome and misleading
title. Two-thirds of the book's papers and
pages are devoted to coalification. There are
only two papers on classification, one each
on mineralogy and trace-element chemistry,
two on oil potential and one on gas potential.
This book contains a wealth of informa-
tion on coalification, regional coal studies
and modern, innovative coal science. It also
contains useful author, geographical and sub-
ject indices not available in the International
Journal of Coal Geology edition. I would like
to recommend this book to all my colleagues
interested in coal science, but few could af-
ford it. It is indeed unfortunate that the
publisher has priced this book out of the
reach of most individuals.
R.B. Finkelman, Reston, VA
Soil Mechanics
Y. Klausner, 1991. Fundamentals of Contin-
uum Mechanics of Soils. Springer Verlag,
London. Hardcover XLIII + 607 pp. Price:
DM 294,- ISBN 3-540-19546-7.
BOOK REVIEWS
The author states in his preface that in the
40 years between the 2nd International Con-
ference on Soil Mechanics in 1948 and the
12th such Conference 12,000 papers on the
subject were published. Thus after Terzaghi's
fundamental book on Theoretical Soil Me-
chanics, a new review of the present state of
the art of the mechanics of soils is obviously
needed.
The book is at an advanced level, intended
for graduate students and scholars, not nec-
essarily for engineering practitioners.
It starts with an exposition of the basic
concepts of continuum mechanics, as far as
they are basic to soils. Thus, the theory of
stresses and strains, the compatibility equa-
tions, the equations of motion and finally the
energetics, i.e., the thermodynamics of con-
tinuous materials are discussed. As already
indicated, the presentation is always at the
highest mathematical level; Riemannian ge-
ometry and the corresponding tensor nota-
tion is used throughout.
After the theoretical basis of simple con-
tinuous materials has been treated, the au-
thor considers the theory of multiphase mix-
tures. Again, at first "the basic constitutive
equations, the multi-phase balances of mo-
mentum and energy and the fundamental
thermodynamic relationships are presented.
Then, the author delves into such problems
as those of dual rheology, dflatancy and
non-linear visco-elasticity.
After this "Introduction" comprising the
fundamentals of continuum mechanics in 7
chapters (136 pp.), the author enters the
actual topic of the book: soils. First, again,
fundamental facts about soils are given: their
constituents (solids, water, air) and their
structure (porosity, specific surface). Finally
the specific properties of clays are presented:
their mineralogical structure and, in particu-
lar (at great length), their electrical proper-
ties, such as electric charges, exchange ca-
pacity, electrical double-layering (Gouy-
Chapman theory), interacting surfaces in
electrolytic solutions, osmotic pressure and
consolidation. The theories of pore water