California geology

Introducing basic principles, this book presents a picture of Californian geology. With California plate tectonics as a central theme, it contains examples of catastrophic natural disasters, excerpts from Californian history and mining methods, and the societal impacts of geologic processes.

• I Basic Principles of Geology
• 1 Plate Tectonics and California
• 2 California's Rocks
• 3 Geologic Time, Dating Earth Materials, and California Fossils
• 4 Geologic Maps and Sources of Information
• II Geological Highlights of California
• 5 Young Volcanoes: The Cascades, the Modoc Plateau, and the Long Valley Caldera
• 6 California's Deserts: Climate, Changing Environments, and Resources
• 7 The Basin and Range and Mojave Desert: Old Rocks and Young Faults
• 8 The Sierra Nevada: Granite, Gold, and Glaciers
• 9 The Klamath Mountains: Accreted Terranes and a View of the Mantle
• 10 Water in California
• 11 The Great Valley: Sediments and Soils
• 12 The Coast Ranges: Mountains of Complexity
• 13 Earthquakes, Faults, and Seismic Safety
• 14 The San Andreas Fault System
• 15 The California Coast
• 16 The Transverse Ranges, The Los Angeles Basin, and the Offshore Islands: Compression and Rapid Change
• 17 The Peninsular Ranges
• III California Geology: An Integrated View
• 18 The Evolution of California Through Geologic Time
• 19 Geology and California Citizens
• Glossary
• Place Index
• Subject Index
• Plates: Inside Front and Back Covers
• Plate 1 Geologic Map of California
• Plate 2 Fault Map of California
• Plate 3 Digital Shaded Relief Map of California
• Plate 4 Map Showing Major Mountain Ranges, Streams, Lakes, Highways, and Cities of California