Tennessee, extending 500 diagonal miles between Bristol and Memphis, cuts across numerous rock types, from the deformed gneiss of the Blue Ridge along the North Carolina border to the young sediments exposed in the Chickasaw Bluffs that rise 100 feet above the Mississippi River floodplain. The state�s more than 1 billion years of geologic history includes continental collisions that built enormous mountains and rifting forces that almost split the ancient continent apart. The geologic processes are still at work in Tennessee, with sinkholes claiming land in areas of limestone, rivers eroding sediment and shifting channels, and some of North America�s largest earthquakes occurring every 500 years on the ancient rift faults near Reelfoot Lake. Learn about unusual meteor impact sites on the Highland Rim of Middle Tennessee, the world-famous fossils in the Coon Creek Formation, and the source of saltpeter used for gunpowder in the Civil War. An extensive section on Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes guides to nine roads, some extending in to North Carolina. With Roadside Geology of Tennessee as your guide, explore the geologic significance of many of the stat�s natural and historic sties such as Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Harpeth River State Park, Dunbar Cave State Natural Area, and Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

Spanning Tennessee from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River, Interstate 40 is more than just a convenient roadway. It afford travelers the opportunity to observe the state's geologic and physiographic features in all their variety. In this accessible and profusely illustrated book, Harry Moore offers a fascinating guided tour of that roadside geology.

A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Harry L. Moore "In this informative, readable, altogether useful guide, Harry Moore adds another dimension to our understanding and appreciation of the Great Smoky Mountains. He acquaints us skillfully with the geologist's terminology and shows us how to read for ourselves the ancient language of the rocks." --Wilma Dykeman "Everybody loves the plants, trees, birds, mammals, and even the reptiles, amphibians, and insects of the Great Smokies. But rocks are not less fascinating, alive in their own way, the foundation of all the rest of life. So I think it's great to have this guide as a companion on the trail." --Michael Frome Guiding the reader on five popular driving tours and five key hiking trails, this nontechnical guidebook indicates not-to-be-missed points of interest and describes the geological evolution associated with them. Tour maps are complemented by annotated road log commentaries and copious drawings and photographs to aid in identifying geological phenomena even when these are obscured by the mountains' lush vegetation. A helpful introduction, focusing on the geologic history of the Smokies, illuminates basic terms and concepts, while a glossary, list of suggested readings, and detailed index further enhance the book's utility. Unique in providing a crisp, comprehensive summary of the Smoky Mountains' geology, A Roadside Guide will serve as a basic planning guide for scenic road trips and hiking trips in the Smokies. Harry L. Moore holds a master's degree in geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since 1972 he has been a geologist at the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The book begins with an introductory chapter that briefly reviews California's geology followed by a series of road guides with the local particulars. The authors tell you what the rocks re and what they mean. Useful graphics and charts supplement the t

Ride along with geologists Pamela Gore and Bill Witherspoon on this extraordinary tour of the Peach State�s varied terrain. In 35 detailed and densely illustrated road guides, the Roadside Geology of Georgia examines Georgia�s fascinating geology and reveals the stories that lie beneath the surface. You�ll be amazed at Georgia�s geological diversity, from its shifting barrier islands along the coast to the sandstone ridges in its northwest corner. At the Cumberland Island National Seashore you�ll find the ruins of Dungeness, the once-magnificent Carnegie estate built of local mineral resources, and encounter wild horses grazing among windswept dunes. In Atlanta, the white whaleback of granite called Stone Mountain will impress you with its protruding �cat�s paw� minerals and stony layers that are sloughing off like the layers of an onion. In the Blue Ridge Mountains you can witness Amicalola Falls, one of the highest cascading waterfalls east of the Mississippi River, and Tallulah Gorge, one the deepest gorges in the eastern United States. And in the iconic Okefenokee Swamp of south Georgia, you�ll wade through the gator-filled blackwater of one of the largest wetlands in North America. With its engaging prose and 250-plus color photos, maps, and figures, Roadside Geology of Georgia takes you beyond the rocks to unearth the billion-year history of the Empire State of the South.

Tennessee's geologic history has evolved in myriad ways since its initial formation more than a billion years ago, settling into its current place on the North American supercontinent between 300 and 250 million years ago. Throughout that long span of “deep time,” Tennessee's landscape morphed into its present form. The Last Billion Years: A Geologic History of Tennessee is the first general overview in more than thirty years to interpret the state's geological record. With minimal jargon, numerous illustrations and photographs, and a glossary of scientific terms, this volume provides the tools necessary for readers with little or no background in the subject to learn about the geologic formation of Tennessee, making it an excellent resource for high school students, college students, and interested general readers. Yet, because of the depth of its scholarship, the book is also an invaluable reference for professional geologists. Recognizing that every reader is familiar with the roles of wind, water, gravity, and organisms in their everyday environment, author Don Byerly employs the Earth Systems Science approach, showing how the five interacting parts of the Earth—the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere—have worked together for eons to generate the rock compositions that make up Tennessee's geologic past. All regions of the state are covered. Featuring a unique time chart that illustrates the state's geologic history from east to west, The Last Billion Years shows that while the geologic aspects of the state's three grand divisions are related in many ways, each division has a distinctly different background. The organization of the book further enhances its usability, allowing the reader to see and compare what was happening contemporaneously across the state during the key sequences of its geologic history. Written in a clear and engaging style, The Last Billion Years will have broad appeal to students, lay readers, and professionals.

California's geology makes headlines when faults shift, volcanoes puff steam, and coastal bluffs fall into the sea. This book explores the state's recent rumblings and tremulous past with the aid of full color illustrations. Photographs showcase multihued rock, from red chert and green serpentinite to blue schist and gray granite. The geologic information, particularly for the Klamath Mountains, Modoc Plateau, and northern Sierra Nevada, has been updated to reflect new geologic understanding of these complex areas. Features detailed, easy to read color geologic road maps based on the 2010 Geologic Map of California.