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Encyclopedia of Marine GeosciencesEncyclopedia of Marine Geosciences. Jan

Harff, Martin Meschede , Sven Petersen, and Jörn Thiede (editors). Springer,
Dordrecht, Heidelberg, New Yo...

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DOI: 10.5710/AMGH.v54i2.1

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 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MARINE
GEOSCIENCES
Jan Harff, Martin Meschede, Sven
Petersen, and Jörn Thiede (editors).
Springer, Dordrecht, Heidelberg,
New York, London, XXXIII+961 pp,
ISBN: 978-94-007-6237-4

DEMETRIO BOLTOVSKOY

Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET.

To cite this article: Demetrio Boltovskoy (2017). ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MARINE GEOSCIENCES. Jan Harff,
Martin Meschede, Sven Petersen, and Jörn Thiede (editors). Springer, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, New York, London,
XXXIII+961 pp, ISBN: 978-94-007-6237-4. Ameghiniana 54: 255–256.

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Also appearing in this issue:

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and flexibility in Alligator and the on richness, composition, and (Voltziales and Podocarpaceae)
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 AMEGHINIANA - 2017 - Volume 54 (2): 255 – 256
ISSN 0002-7014
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MARINE GEOSCIENCES. Jan Harff, Martin Meschede, Sven Petersen, and Jörn Thiede (editors).
Springer, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, New York, London, XXXIII+961 pp, ISBN: 978-94-007-6237-4
With the increasing diversification and specialization in
all branches of science, keeping track of new developments
outside of one’s area of expertise, and even simply under-
standing some essential concepts in fields with which one is
only marginally familiar, has become an increasingly difficult
task. This is particularly true of marine geology, which draws
from innumerable areas of knowledge. As stated in the
chapter Marine Geosciences: A Short, Eclectic, and Weighted
Historic Account of the book reviewed, “Marine geosciences
are covering all phenomena and processes related to the
formations of shallow shelf seas and of the deep ocean. They
draw on modern dynamics of seafloor and sediment forma-
tion, marine geophysics and tectonics, volcanology, geo-
chemistry, microbiology, biology, and paleontology of marine
organisms. They are of great economic importance because
of the wealth of nonliving marine resources”. The Encyclope-
dia of Marine Geosciences does an excellent job of filling this
gap. It is an impressive reference tool resulting from the
expertise of ca. 200 scientists from ~30 countries. All arti-
cles are authored by internationally recognized experts and
have been reviewed by a large body of subject editors.
As the title suggests, its main focus is marine geology,
but since this field is intimately linked with a wide array of
related areas, it also covers aspects of the geophysics, hy-
drography, biology, paleontology, climatology, and ecology
of the ocean. Marine micropaleontology is probably one of
the ancillary topics most thoroughly covered in this book,
with chapters devoted to all major aspects of the forma-
tion, preservation, and interpretation of biogenic sedimentary
records. Each of the most important microfossil groups is
treated exhaustively in separate chapters (Coccoliths, Diatoms,
Dinoflagellates, Foraminifers (planktonic and benthic), Paly-
nology, Pteropods, Radiolarians), as well specific problems
associated with their use as paleoindicators (Biochronology
and Biostratigraphy, Bioturbation, Calcite Compensation
Depth, Carbon Isotopes, Carbonate Dissolution, Export Pro-
duction, Laminated Sediments, Modern Analog Techniques,
AMGHB2-0002-7014/12$00.00+.50
BOOK REVIEWS
Oxygen Isotopes, Paleoceanographic Proxies, Paleoproduc-
tivity).
While primarily intended for academicians, its 195 entries
are not restricted to pure research, but also cover funda-
mental aspects of applied ecology, economic geology and
the exploitation of marine resources (e.g., Ocean Acidification,
Energy Resources, Engineered Coasts, Geohazards: Coastal
Disasters, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Marine
Mineral Resources, Oil Spill, Technology in Marine Geo-
sciences).
While generally excellent and with a very sound layout
of the essentials of each topic, as with all works of this
caliber, the coverage is occasionally uneven. For example, in
the chapter “Currents”, one would have expected to find a
general diagram of at least the major surface currents in the
World Ocean. Although profusely illustrated with excellent
figures (458 in total, mostly in color), some chapters are sur-
prisingly restricted to text only (e.g., Dinoflagellates, El Niño,
Upwelling). However, it should be borne in mind that The
Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences is the latest contribu-
tion to Springer’s series The Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences,
the previous volumes having centered on Coastal Science,
Geochemistry, Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments,
and Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks). As the editors no-
tice in their preface, some overlap between the topics
treated in this volume and the other issues of the series is
unavoidable, which may justify the shortness of some entries
in this edition.
In short, The Encyclopaedia of Marine Geosciences is an
excellent reference work for learning the essentials of fea-
tures and processes in areas outside of the reader’s field of
expertise, and the references included in each chapter greatly
facilitate the search for further detail. Most importantly, each
subject is treated with a view to cover the general concept
clearly, incorporating the most updated relevant information,
and in a way accessible to readers with a wide range of back-
grounds. A particularly welcome feature is that every entry
255
AMEGHINIANA - 2017 - Volume 54 (2): 255 – 256

starts with a list of synonyms by which the same feature

or process is known in the literature, followed by a short
(usually a few lines) and clear definition. At quite an affordable
price (the options are eBook, a printed version, and a combo
of both), this encyclopedia clearly fills an important gap in
the current literature.

Demetrio Boltovskoy
Instituto de Ecología, Genética y
Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA),
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales,
Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET
demetrio@ege.fcen.uba.ar

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