Magnetism of Rocks

Have you ever wondered how to explain to your friends and acquaintances what you specialize in within your scientific field? And have you tried to convey why this niche topic is incredibly exciting and directly relevant to everyday life? This is exactly where this book comes in: it invites you to take a closer look at our environment without getting lost in technical details, but rather to understand the underlying principles. It introduces you to the world of paleomagnetism and rock magnetism, regardless of whether your concept of geology revolves around moving tectonic plates, dinosaurs, or rocks. The book takes you on an entertaining journey, from the global phenomena of the Earth's magnetic field down to the subatomic level of electron movements in minerals. It offers selected geological scenarios that demonstrate dynamic processes within our Earth system, from the formation of rocks in tranquil lakes to the creation of mountains. No mathematical formulas are required for understanding, though terms like paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, coordinate transformations, and anisotropy will be explained. The book uses vivid analogies from everyday life to make complex topics more comprehensible. A successful introduction to the fascinating world of paleomagnetism and rock magnetism in geology, suitable for interested laypeople, amateur geologists, geoscientists, and related disciplines. About the Author Dr. Michael Urbat is a geologist who has dedicated nearly three decades to studying the magnetic properties of rocks. Multiple research fellowships took him to universities in the USA, the Netherlands, and aboard international research vessels. After completing his habilitation at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Cologne, he represented a professorship in geology there for several years. The original book was published in German. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content. This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.