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"Unfold a map of North America," Keith Heyer Meldahl writes, "and the first thing to grab your eye is the bold shift between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains." In this absorbing book, Meldahl takes readers on a 1000-mile-long field trip back through more than 100 million years of deep time to explore America's most spectacular and scientifically intriguing landscapes. He places us on the outcrops, rock hammer in hand, to examine the evidence for how these rough-hewn lands came to be. We see California and its gold assembled from pieces of old ocean floor and the relentless movements of the Earth's tectonic plates. We witness the birth of the Rockies. And we investigate the violent earthquakes that continue to shape the region today. Into the West's geologic story, Meldahl also weaves its human history. As we follow the adventures of John C. Frémont, Mark Twain, the Donner party, and other historic characters, we learn how geologic forces have shaped human experience in the past and how they direct the fate of the West today.

Geology --- West (U.S.) --- History. --- american geography. --- american history. --- american landscapes. --- american west geology. --- american west topography. --- california geology. --- california history. --- california topography. --- donner party. --- earth sciences. --- geoscience. --- gold rush. --- golden state. --- great plains. --- historical geography. --- history of the west. --- how the west was made. --- john c fremont. --- mark twain. --- nature and science. --- pioneer history. --- rocky mountains. --- science and geology. --- seismic tomography. --- tectonic plates. --- wanderlust. --- western mountains. --- western united states.

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"Meldahl takes the reader on a tour of coastal Southern California, deftly explaining its complex geologic history, coastal geology, surfing spots, and the processes that shape them. Richly illustrated and told with great humor and enlightening analogies, Surf, Sand, and Stone is easily accessible yet contains valuable resources for those who want to delve deeper."-Mark Johnsson, staff geologist, California Coastal Commission"; Surf, Sand, and Stone is an entertaining and very readable explanation of the complex geology and oceanography of the Southern California coast. Meldahl must be an excellent teacher as he has a real gift for writing about complex topics in a comfortable, engaging, and fascinating manner."; -Gary Griggs, Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, UC Santa Cruz Southern California is sandwiched between two tectonic plates with an ever-shifting boundary. Over the last several million years, movements of these plates have dramatically reshuffled the Earth's crust to create rugged landscapes and seascapes riven with active faults. Movement along these faults triggers earthquakes and tsunamis, pushes up mountains, and lifts sections of coastline. Over geologic time, beaches come and go, coastal bluffs retreat, and the sea rises and falls. Nothing about Southern California's coast is stable. Surf, Sand, and Stone tells the scientific story of the Southern California coast: its mountains, islands, beaches, bluffs, surfing waves, earthquakes, and related phenomena. It takes readers from San Diego to Santa Barbara, revealing the evidence for how the coast's features came to be and how they are continually changing. With a compelling narrative and clear illustrations, Surf, Sand, and Stone outlines how the coast will be altered in the future and how we can best prepare for it.

Coast changes --- Geomorphology --- Geomorphic geology --- Physiography --- Physical geography --- Landforms --- Coastal erosion --- Coasts --- Shore erosion --- Littoral drift --- Erosion --- Geomorphology - California, Southern. --- california earthquakes. --- california fault lines. --- california geology. --- california tsunamis. --- coastal geology. --- coastal science. --- coastal shifts california. --- earth sciences. --- earth studies. --- geology. --- geomorphology. --- north american plate. --- oak ridge fault. --- oceanography. --- outdoor science. --- pacific plate. --- san andreas fault. --- santa ynez fault. --- southern california coastline. --- southern california. --- tectonic plates california. --- tectonic plates. --- tectonic shift.