Geology of the Southwest
Subtitle: a journey through two billion years of plate-tectonic history
By: W. Scott Baldridge.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 280
Subjects: Plate tectonics -- Southwest, New; Geology -- Southwest, New
Description: "The processes of geology form our landscape over immeasurable expanses of time, and nowhere is this more self-evident than in the spectacular scenery of the Southwest of the United States of America. Two billion years of Earth history are represented in the rocks and landscape of this region, creating natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, Monument valley, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Death Valley." "Geology of the American Southwest provides the first concise and accessible account of the geology of the region. It relates local geological events to global plate tectonics, and documents complex episodes of sedimentation, mountain building and crust stretching, describing events leading to features of the modern landscape. Its broad chronological approach differs from other books about the geology of the region, which focus either on smaller regions, or are organized by travel route. This book will prove invaluable to students studying the geology of the southwest. It will also appeal to anyone interested in geology and landscape, and is a valuable guide for visitors to the National Parks of the region."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [253]-276) and index.
Table of contents: title: Growth of a continent; title: Tantalizing time; title: The international connection: breakup of a supercontinent; title: Stability to orogeny: transformation of the Western Margin; title: Pangea! Collision with Gondwana; title: Deserts to dinosaurs; title: Western orogeny; title: The Modern Southwest.