The world of mineral deposits : a beginners guide to economic geology This vivid introduction to economic geology not only describes the most important deposit types but also the processes involved in their formation. Magmatic hydrothermal and sedimentary processes as well as weathering and alteration are explained in the framework of plate tectonics and the history of the Earth. The chapter about fossil fuels includes unconventional deposits and the much debated fracking. Other topics covered are exploration mining and economic aspects like commodity prices.