Roadside Geology of Washington (Roadside Geology Series) [Paperback]

David D. Alt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Roadside Geology | Publication Date: September 1, 1984

The geology of Washington is a story of islands--micro-continents--coming in from the sea. Two hundred million years ago most of Washington consisted of two large islands, each one a scrap of continent, lying somewhere in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. One after the other they docked onto the North American continent, each adding its distinctive bit to the complex geologic and geographic mosaic of western North America.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Through the Roadside Geology of Washington . . . I've started to make sense of . . . the natural features of our state . . . from the vast volcanic flows that formed the Columbia Plateau . . . to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens." --Kristin Jackson, Seattle Times

About the Author

David Alt is a geology professor at the University of Montana in Missoula. Dedicated to bringing geology to the general public, he cofounded the popular Roadside Geology series. He has written a number of books in the series with coauthor Donald Hyndman, and helps edit others. Alt also teaches elderhostel courses, leads field trips, and presents public lectures about regional geology. He lives in Missoula. Donald W. Hyndman is dedicated to bringing geology to the general public, and cofounded the popular Roadside Geology series. He has written a number of the series titles with coauthor David Alt, and helps edit others. When he is not writing or editing books, Hyndman teaches geology at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company (September 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878421602
• ISBN-13: 978-0878421602
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geology > Specific Locations

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging tourbook that can be enjoyed without the car., April 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Roadside Geology of Washington (Roadside Geology Series) (Paperback)

This is not a book for rockhounds -- there are no mineral lists, no collecting sites or things like that. It is aimed at a general reader with an interest in geophysical features and phenomena. I'd say it scores pretty well.

The authors focus on what can be seen along, and what underlies, many major Washington highways. They deal with both the surficial geology and the underlying basement rocks. There is an emphasis on relating what is right in front of you to "how it got that way" and how it continues to change today.

Their preface is an excellent description of plate tectonics, the engine that powers all the geologic activity. It would be easy for this description to lose the non-technical reader, but their writing makes it seem clear. Throughout the book they have a consistently light but careful prose style. More people would be interested in geology if introductory geology textbooks read like this one!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most practical guide for amateur geologists, January 9, 2002

By 

Crileen Kixmoeller (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roadside Geology of Washington (Roadside Geology Series) (Paperback)

Geology has long been a hobby of mine. I own several of these books and thoroughly enjoy them all. The Washington roadside guide has the most meaning to me since I live in Washington State and have had reason to travel throughout the state for the last 12 plus years. I like the authors approach of using highways and cities as reference points. In addition, the pictures add realism. You can actually go to those places and look at the pictures in the book and see exactly what they are talking about.
I think this book is a valuable educational tool as well for people with children. What fun to drive from place to place and learn about what is really under the surface of the ground! Reading the geological story of a particular part of the state made me want to travel there as well. Great books, very easy to read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, May 15, 2006

By 

Dude - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roadside Geology of Washington (Roadside Geology Series) (Paperback)

Let's say you have a craving for geology, which is one of the hottest subjects on the planet (you know, molten rock and such). Let's say you want to drive a particular route through Washington State. This book is organized by route (just like the other books in the series) so you can have an expert's explanation of what geologic features you are looking at and how they were formed.

Imagine a time of massive flooding when glacial Lake Missoula burst out of the ice dam and drenched most of Eastern Washington with 500 cubic miles of water more than 30 times. You can easily find the evidence today with the help of this book.

Imagine a time when the northern end of Puget Sound was blocked by glacial ice, the level of water in the sound was about 100 feet higher than today, and all the rivers draining into the South Sound were dammed up and forced to escape to the South, through modern-day Black Lake and down the Chehalis River Valley.

Some people worry about Mt. Rainier erupting again, which of course it will. But imagine the numerous and relatively recent mudflows off Mt Rainier which were not even associated with an eruption. Some of these mudflows contained up to a cubic mile of material with the consistency of liquid bricks. The inundated areas are now inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. All you folks in Sumner and Orting, good luck in the next one!

Once I wanted to be a Geologist, but the projects took too long to complete. If you have this book, at least the explanation is fast and easy to understand for the non-geologist such as myself. All the books in this series are fun to read when traveling through the subject areas.

Thanks, Steve Willie, Olympia, WA