California Geology 2nd Edition by Deborah Harden introduces basic principles and work toward a unifying picture of California geology. With California plate tectonics as a central theme, this book is intended to acquaint non- geologists with California geology. This text contains examples of catastrophic natural disasters, excerpts from California history, illustrations of mining methods, and discussions of the societal impacts of geologic processes.
Basic principles in the beginning of the book and tables of highlights for each province enable the reader to understand the whole picture of catastrophic national disasters, California history, mining methods, and societal impacts; it brings the lessons of geology closer to the everyday context of California life. After a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of geology, this book then focuses on the geological highlights of California.
This book is divided into three sections. The first four chapters are intended to introduce readers to the basic principles of geology. Because the basic concepts are illustrated with California examples, those with previous geology background will also benefit from the material in Part I.
Part II, Chapters 5 through 17, covers the major features of California's provinces and important geologic processes that are not specific to a single province. For each province, I have selected the most important geologic features or events. Therefore, these chapters do not cover all rock types, events, or geologic features found in each part of California. These chapters begin with less geologically complex areas, and later chapters assume that the reader has acquired the fundamental knowledge given in earlier chapters.
However, it is possible to cover these chapters in a variety of orders and to eliminate some entirely during a semester, as I do during my own course. For courses with emphasis on southern California, I would advise beginning with the desert provinces and the Sierra Nevada before moving to the Transverse or Peninsular ranges chapters.
In my opinion, it is important to cover the final two chapters (Part III) during any course on California geology because they unify the material presented in earlier chapters. A synthesis of the geologic development of California through time, presented in Chapter 18, is a good way to review the material in Part II.
The final chapter of the book reviews the geologic processes that created hazards for California citizens, the geologic causes of those hazards, and the measures taken to mitigate and prepare for hazardous events. This is perhaps the most important "take-home lesson" for non-geologists who plan to live and work in California.
The inside back and front covers of the book contain a wealth of readily available information, with comprehensive geologic, fault, relief, and mountain range maps. A handy desk reference for geologists, this book is also a source of information for anyone interested in the evolution of California's terrain.
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