Skip to content


Choose a Chapter | Sitemap

1 The Earth in Context
2 The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics
3 Patterns in Nature: Minerals
4 Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks
5 A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks
6 Change in the Solid State: Metamorphic Rocks
7 The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions
8 A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes
9 Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building
10 Deep Time: How Old is Old?
11 A Biography of Earth
12 Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources
13 Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements
14 Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water
15 Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts
16 A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater
17 Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts
18 Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages
19 Global Change in the Earth System

Earth Science News: Weekly Updates from the New York Times

Magmatic Plumbing Of A Large Permian Caldera Exposed To A Depth Of 25 Kilometers
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT
Large volcanic calderas, aka supervolcanoes, are enormous craters tens of kilometers in diameter produced by giant, explosive eruptions that rank among the most violent geologic events. Geophysical studies of recently active calderas and investigations of their eruption products suggest that their magmatic systems are driven by intrusion of mantle-derived basalt in the deep crust, a process commonly referred to as magmatic underplating.

Developed by Stephen Marshak and by study guide author Rita Leafgren, this resource for students offers thoughtful and engaging review materials to supplement discussions in the text. A series of original animations helps students to visualize dynamic Earth processes.

This site features:

  • Animations—thirty-one interactive animations of dynamic processes, with an emphasis on plate tectonics, geologic hazards, and earth systems science concepts
  • Ample review materials—overviews, key terms and definitions, and multiple-choice quizzes to test students' understanding of chapter concepts
  • Earth Science News—postings from Newswise.com. Updated biweekly, these articles feature late-breaking research
  • Feature Articles—essays by Stephen Marshak and specially commissioned feature articles by science writer Betsy L. Mason to help students apply what they've learned and to illustrate further the complexity and beauty of the Earth system

Chapter Menu


Other Resources


Norton Gradebook

Instructors now have an easy way to collect students’ online quizzes with the Norton Gradebook without flooding their inboxes with e-mails.

Students can track their online quiz scores by setting up their own Student Gradebook.