This introduction to the geology of California covers all major geomorphic provinces and is organized from north to south.

Twenty vignettes focus on particular geologic scenes, relationships, and features of southern California's active landscape.

With its active fault systems, complex landforms, and myriad natural habitats, southern California boasts a rich and dynamic geologic environment. This abundantly illustrated volume at last provides an up-to-date, authoritative, and accessible resource for students and general readers interested in southern California's geology and native plants. Covering an extensive area, north from San Diego to Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada and east to the Mojave and Colorado deserts, its unique, comprehensive approach brings together for the first time the basic principles of geology, the story of plate tectonics, in-depth discussion of the geology of many specific locales within the region, and information on identifying southern California's native plants.

Since Mountain Press started the Roadside Geology series forty years ago, southern Californians have been waiting for an RG of their own. During those four decades�which were punctuated by jarring earthquakes and landslides�geologists continued to unravel the complexity of the Golden State, where some of the most dramatic and diverse geology in the world erupts, crashes, and collides. With dazzling color maps, diagrams, and photographs, Roadside Geology of Southern California takes advantage of this newfound knowledge, combining the latest science with accessible stories about the rocks and landscapes visible from winding two-lane byways as well as from the region�s vast network of highways. Join Arthur Sylvester, an award-winning UC Santa Barbara geologist, and Elizabeth O�Black Gans, a geologist-illustrator, as they motor through mountains and deserts to explore the iconic features of the SoCal landscape, from boulder piles in Joshua Tree National Park and brilliant white dunes in the Channel Islands to tar seeps along the rugged coast and youthful cinder cones in the Mojave Desert. Whether you want to find precious gemstones, ponder the mysteries of the Salton Sea, or straddle the boundary between the North American and Pacific Plates, be sure to bring this book along as your tour guide.

California has some of the most distinctive and unique geology in the United States. It is the only state with all three types of plate boundaries, an extraordinary history of earthquakes and volcanoes, and it has many rocks and minerals found nowhere else. The Golden State includes both the highest and lowest point in the continental US and practically every conceivable geological feature known. This book discusses not only the important geologic features of each region in California, but also the complex geologic four-dimensional puzzle of how California was assembled, beginning over 2 billion years ago. The author provides up-to-date and authoritative review of the geology and geomorphology of each geologic province, as well as recent revelations of tectonic history of California’s past. There are separate chapters on some of California’s distinctive geologic resources, including gold, oil, water, coastlines, and fossils. An introductory section describes basic rock and mineral types and fundamental aspects of plate tectonics, so that students and other readers can make sense of the bizarre, wild, and crazy jigsaw puzzle that is California's geological history.

From wave-cut rock cliffs and sea caves to gravel beaches and coastal dunes, California’s coastline has enthralled visitors from around the world. A Coast to Explore describes the origins of these coastal features and unravels the wonderful mystery of how the birth of the San Andreas Fault system created what we see today. Miles O. Hayes and Jacqueline Michel have been mapping the coast of California since the 1980s as part of a larger initiative to protect coastlines around the world from hazardous oil spills. A Coast to Explore is the culmination of their work. Through a delightful narrative, it details the geological evolution of central California’s coast from Bodega Bay to Point Conception, including the effects of erosion during El Niños, the impacts of tsunamis, and the formation of spectacular raised marine terraces. Key ecological resources are described for each of the major subdivisions of the coast. Through richly illustrated diagrams, full-color photographs, and satellite images, A Coast to Explore takes readers on a fascinating journey of discovery so they can better understand why the Central California coast is so remarkable.

California has some of the most distinctive and unique geology in the United States. It is the only state with all three types of plate boundaries, an extraordinary history of earthquakes and volcanoes, and many rocks and minerals found nowhere else. The Golden State includes both the highest and lowest points in the continental US and practically every conceivable geological feature known. This book discusses not only the important geologic features of each region in California but also the complex geologic four-dimensional puzzle of how California was assembled, beginning over two billion years ago. The author provides an up-to-date and authoritative review of the geology and geomorphology of each geologic province, as well as recent revelations of the tectonic history of California’s past. There are separate chapters on some of California’s distinctive geologic resources, including gold, oil, water, coastlines, and fossils. An introductory section describes basic rock and mineral types and fundamental aspects of plate tectonics, so that students and other readers can make sense of the bizarre, wild, and crazy jigsaw puzzle that is California's geological history. In this second edition, the book has an entirely new final section, “California’s Environmental Hazards and Challenges,” with new chapters on California’s landslides, air and water pollution, renewable energy, and the future of climate change in California. Key Features Thoroughly updates the market-leading textbook on California's geology Is written by an author with 30 years of teaching geology and leading field trips in California Introduces California's unique geological history Covers fundamentals of geology Characterizes specific geographical regions of California Describes major geological resources of California Summarizes the paleontology of California Reviews the likely impact of climate change on California's environment Related Titles Hollocher, K. A Pictorial Guide to Metamorphic Rocks in the Field (ISBN 978-11380-2630-8) Glavovic, B. et al. Climate Change and the Coast: Building Resilient Communities (ISBN 978-04154-6487-1)