An introductory chapter briefly reviews Texas' geology followed by a series of road guides with the local particulars. The authors tell you what the rocks are and what they mean. Useful graphics and charts supplement the text and help you to understand

Geo-Texas succeeds in bringing together astronomy, geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental studies in a highly informative, one-of-a-kind guide to Earth sciences in the Lone Star State. Eric R. Swanson draws on the latest scientific findings in treating the natural history of Texas from the oldest known rock, through the age of the dinosaurs, to the geologic present, from the early development of Texas' water and land resources to the current crisis of environmental pollution. In examining Texas natural sciences-and the abiding connection between Texans and their physical surroundings-Geo-Texas is engagingly anecdotal and draws freely on the wry humor with which Texans have always observed and regarded their environment. Entertaining accounts of natural phenomena, such as a meteorite scoring a direct hit on a swimming pool and a Texas twister sweeping up a farmer and returning him to earth unharmed, supplement the scholarship in each chapter to show how cultural and scientific issues converge. Students and teachers of Texas Earth science will find Geo-Texas indispensable. With more than eighty illustrations and valuable appendices listing rock hound clubs, Earth science organizations, and points of interest throughout the state, Geo-Texas will also appeal to the general reader and serve as the Earth science guide for lovers of Texas and its multifaceted environment.

"Dinosaur tracks preserved in sandstone, knobs of granite rising from the plains, and springs cascading down limestone cliffs are just a few of the fascinating geologic features discussed in Roadside Geology of Oklahoma, a guide to more than 35 roads that crisscross the Sooner State. Longtime Oklahoma Geological Survey geologist Neil Suneson tells you what to look for along the roads, points you in the direction of nearby parks with interesting rocks and crystals, and recounts historical gems about radium mineral baths, coal mines, fossil excavations, and the early days of petroleum extraction, not to mention the rush for nonexistent gold in the Wichita Mountains. And lest you think nothing has happened recently, geologically speaking, in this Great Plains state, you'll learn about a fault that broke the land surface a meer 1,250 years ago and is capable of generating a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Suneson also gets you up to speed on more modern considerations such as groundwater depletion, petroleum fracking, and strip mine reclamation. Take this book along for a ride as you roll across the red plains east to the Ozark Plateau, west to the Panhandle, or south to the Ouachita, Arbuckle, and Wichita Mountains"--

After Hurricane Katrina, the fanlike pile of sand, mud, and silt that formed near a breached levee was unique in the urban environment of New Orleans. Over the 7,500-year history of the modern Mississippi River delta, however, it was just another splay deposit. Author Darwin Spearing explains the geologic forces behind the formation of the delta, shedding light on the human struggle to control the powerful river that breaches its own levees and switches its own deltas. With sections on wetland loss and land subsidence, Roadside Geology of Louisiana is a must-read for understanding the vulnerability of the Mississippi River delta to floods and hurricanes. First published in 1995, Roadside Geology of Louisiana is back in print by popular demand, with several updated sections. The introduction presents an overview of Loiusiana's geological history, and 57 road guides discuss the landforms visible from a car window, including sand ridges, natural levees, oxbow lakes, and the Five Islands salt domes.

The Big Bend is bizarre, mountainous, stark, dramatic, full of exotic shapes and colors, unlike anything else in Texas.

Through photos and narrative, some of Texas' most dedicated scientists show you actual specimens of dinosaur material found in Texas, as well as dinosaur exhibits found throughout the state.

The Geology of Texas is written to accompany introductory courses including physical and historical geology, as well as physical geography, and was designed to compliment the topics of those courses for students in Texas and surrounding regions. The chapter follows the geologic history of Texas from the Precambrian to recent, with illustrations from virtually all parts of the state. Students will see how plate tectonics as well as surficial processes have created the Texas landscape, and how that geologic record influenced the settlement of Texas and the importance of geology to the inhabitants of the region today. A major theme of the chapter is economic geology, with attention to Texas' important energy resources, especially petroleum and coal, and also the vital groundwater sources that will become increasingly important to the regions' growing population. Environmental issues are also stressed, including the impacts of frequent hurricanes and large floods. The series can be bound into any Thomson Brooks/Cole text to create a more compelling regional edition highlighting relevant material.