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)

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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.

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Chapter 1 The Golden State

Chapter 2 Building Blocks

Chapter 3 Dating California

Chapter 4 The Big Picture

Chapter 5 Earthquakes and Seismology

Chapter 6 Young Volcanoes

Chapter 7 The Broken Land

Chapter 8 Gold, Glaciers, and Granitics

Chapter 9 Mantle Rocks and Exotic Terranes

Chapter 10 Oil and Agriculture

Chapter 11 The San Andreas Fault System

Chapter 12 Mélanges, Granitics, and Ophiolites

Chapter 13 Compression, Rotation, Uplift

Chapter 14 Granitics, Gravels, and Gems

Chapter 15 Assembling California

Chapter 16 California’s Gold

Chapter 17 California’s Oil and Gas

Chapter 18 California’s Water

Chapter 19 California’s Coasts

Chapter 20 California’s Fossil Resources

Chapter 21 California’s Slippery Slopes

Chapter 22 California’s Air and Water Pollution

Chapter 23 California’s Renewable Energy Resources

Chapter 24 Climate Change and California’s Future Environment

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781032294957
Publisert
2024-03-21
Utgave
2. utgave
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis Ltd; CRC Press
Vekt
1560 gr
Høyde
280 mm
Bredde
210 mm
Aldersnivå
U, P, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
386

Forfatter

Om bidragsyterne

Donald Prothero has taught college geology and paleontology for 45 years, at Caltech, Columbia, Cal Poly Pomona, and Occidental, Knox, Vassar, Glendale, Mt. San Antonio, and Pierce Colleges. He earned his B.A. in geology and biology (highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa, College Award) from University of California Riverside in 1976, and his M.A. (1978), M.Phil. (1979), and Ph.D. (1982) in geological sciences from Columbia University. He is the author of over 50 books (including 8 leading geology textbooks, and several trade books), and over 400 scientific papers, mostly on the evolution of fossil mammals (especially rhinos, camels, and pronghorns) and on using the earth's magnetic field changes to date fossil-bearing strata. He has been on the editorial boards of journals such as Geology, Paleobiology, Journal of Paleontology, and Skeptic magazine. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the Paleontological Society, and the Geological Society of America, and also received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and National Science Foundation. He served as President of Pacific Section SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) in 2012, and served for five years as Program Chair of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. In 1991, he received the Charles Schuchert Award for outstanding paleontologist under the age of 40. In 2013, he received the James Shea Award of the National Association of Geology Teachers for outstanding writing and editing the geosciences. In 2015, he received the Joseph T. Gregory award for service to vertebrate paleontology. In 2016 he was named a “Friend of Darwin” by the National Center for Science Education. In 2023, he was named a “Distinguished Speaker” by the Palaeontological Association. He has been featured on numerous TV documentaries, including Paleoworld, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, Prehistoric Monsters Revealed, Monsterquest, Prehistoric Predators: Entelodon and Hyaenodon, Conspiracy Road Trip: Creationism, as well as Jeopardy! and Win Ben Stein's Money.