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Roadside Geology Series #33
Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia
More than 500 million years of geologic discord along the western margin of the North American tectonic plate has built the land that is British Columbia. Today, the turmoil continues as teh Juan de Fuca tectonic plate inches beneath Vancouver Island, triggering earthquakes and generating the magma that feeds the volcanoes of the Cascades. _Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia_ explains the province's geologic history in simple terms, covering southern British Columbia from the northen tip of Vancouver Island to the Alberta border east of Golden. Introductory sections describe the geology of four regions - Vancouver Island, the Coast, the Interior Plateaus, and the Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Thirty-one road guides, complete with maps, photographs, and diagrams, locate and interpret the rocks and landforms visible from the province's highways and ferry routes. Includes 118 black-and-white photographs, 96 two-color maps and illustrations, glossary, references, and index.
403 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
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About the author
William H. Matthews
6 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
William Henry Mathews, or Bill Mathews (1919–2003) was a Canadian geologist, volcanologist, engineer, and professor. He is considered a pioneer in the study of subglacial eruptions and volcano-ice interactions in North America. Many of his publications continue to be regarded as classics in their field.
William Henry Mathews, or Bill Mathews (1919–2003) was a Canadian geologist, volcanologist, engineer, and professor. He is considered a pioneer in the study of subglacial eruptions and volcano-ice interactions in North America. Many of his publications continue to be regarded as classics in their field.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 30, 2013
Why Is the Landscape the Way It Is? The Geology Underfoot Series
One of the first things I went looking for during our sojourn on Vancouver Island was Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia. I didn't know if such a book existed, but I was sure that the world needed one.
Published in 2005, the book is a great companion for road (and ferry) trips. It explains the forces of the earth that made this amazing piece of country, with seismic faults, evidence of millennia of glacial ice, and the backstory of continents moving across the surface of the earth. Interpersed are stories from the present and recent past: the coal mines that burrowed under the Georgia Strait at Nanaimo and what happened at Port Alberni on Good Friday, 1964, for example. That was when a massive earthquake in Alaska sent a tsunami surging down the coast where it was funneled into a fjord, and amplified by high tides, engulfing much of the fishing and lumber town.
As we drove along, I would read Lee the relevant passages until he got tired of "the lessons for today." But reading about what we were seeing made the trip that much more interesting the way having an explanation for anything enriches an experience.
Twenty-five years ago I stumbled on the Roadside Geology series when we were on the Oregon coast. Why were there so many marvelous sand dunes, I wondered. I found the answer in The Roadside Geology of Oregon: sand ground from the Cascade Mountains has been deposited along the Pacific shore, as sea level rose and fall over the last couple of million years.
Since then I've collected other books from the series, including The Roadside Geology of the Northern Rockies (published in 1972 with a spiral binding, as if it were an amateur endeavor, and now out of print), and The Roadside Geology of Northern California (now revised as The Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California with much more up to date material on tectonic plates).
But what I didn't have and couldn't find was The Roadside Geology of Washington, even at excellent book stores like Mermaid Tales in Tofino (where I found the BC version) and Village Books in Fairhaven, WA. We can order it for you, bookstores folks said, but I declined since we were on the move. Amazon.ca had links to where I could get it, and I was just about to order on line.
But then I was looking for something else, and what do I find? Yes, there it was this afternoon, all ready for me to dip into, like the dips and doodles of these somewhat metamorphisized rocks on Schooner Beach, BC.
One of the first things I went looking for during our sojourn on Vancouver Island was Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia. I didn't know if such a book existed, but I was sure that the world needed one.
Published in 2005, the book is a great companion for road (and ferry) trips. It explains the forces of the earth that made this amazing piece of country, with seismic faults, evidence of millennia of glacial ice, and the backstory of continents moving across the surface of the earth. Interpersed are stories from the present and recent past: the coal mines that burrowed under the Georgia Strait at Nanaimo and what happened at Port Alberni on Good Friday, 1964, for example. That was when a massive earthquake in Alaska sent a tsunami surging down the coast where it was funneled into a fjord, and amplified by high tides, engulfing much of the fishing and lumber town.
As we drove along, I would read Lee the relevant passages until he got tired of "the lessons for today." But reading about what we were seeing made the trip that much more interesting the way having an explanation for anything enriches an experience.
Twenty-five years ago I stumbled on the Roadside Geology series when we were on the Oregon coast. Why were there so many marvelous sand dunes, I wondered. I found the answer in The Roadside Geology of Oregon: sand ground from the Cascade Mountains has been deposited along the Pacific shore, as sea level rose and fall over the last couple of million years.
Since then I've collected other books from the series, including The Roadside Geology of the Northern Rockies (published in 1972 with a spiral binding, as if it were an amateur endeavor, and now out of print), and The Roadside Geology of Northern California (now revised as The Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California with much more up to date material on tectonic plates).
But what I didn't have and couldn't find was The Roadside Geology of Washington, even at excellent book stores like Mermaid Tales in Tofino (where I found the BC version) and Village Books in Fairhaven, WA. We can order it for you, bookstores folks said, but I declined since we were on the move. Amazon.ca had links to where I could get it, and I was just about to order on line.
But then I was looking for something else, and what do I find? Yes, there it was this afternoon, all ready for me to dip into, like the dips and doodles of these somewhat metamorphisized rocks on Schooner Beach, BC.
March 29, 2025
I picked up this book at our local Share Shed. This is a great find!!! The book is an invaluable guide and is out of print.
This book came into my library from the local Share Shed at our town waste and recycling station! We do not have house-to-house pick up of our garage, compost, and recycling. Instead, we take our stuff to a waste and recycling station. At this location is a Share Shed. So, if you have something that if you think others would like to use an item in decent shape you leave it in the shed to be shared with others, hence the name.
The book is true to its title. It explains the geology of the earth as seen from the highways. I am not a geologist, nor have I studied the topic, but I love to drive our roads and view the landscape. My Dad studied geology in his days at the University of Washington, and I did pick up an interest in the subject. However, I did get lost in some of the details of the geology found in this book.
I have lived in British Columbia for over 30 years and appreciate the variety of landscapes of the province from northern winters to desert areas, from towering mountains to seemingly never-ending plateaus and numerous valleys. The geography of British Columbia is breathtaking.
This book will help you explore and appreciate what you see on your travels.
As well, I like interesting factoids, and here are a couple I picked up in this book:
- At one time British Columbia was covered with ocean waters. Numerous fossils of ocean creatures are found on the high ridges
- For a time, the lowest dry point in North America (outside of Death Valley) was in an open pit mine in northern Vancouver Island.
- The Fraser River brings “just over 17 million tons per year of fine sand and mud to the delta” which empties south of the City of Vancouver.
- All kinds of mining operations have or are taking place in British Columbia including coal, silver, gold, copper, etc. These were and are mines of large quantities of these and other minerals.
- The challenges of the topography of British Columbia have made for creative and skillful roadbuilding to overcome obstacles of geography and intense weather. From snow sheds to tunneling through mountains transportation experts have found a way.
This book was written by two expert geologists. Even though some of the content was beyond my understanding I gained insights and appreciation for this great area in which I now live.
This book came into my library from the local Share Shed at our town waste and recycling station! We do not have house-to-house pick up of our garage, compost, and recycling. Instead, we take our stuff to a waste and recycling station. At this location is a Share Shed. So, if you have something that if you think others would like to use an item in decent shape you leave it in the shed to be shared with others, hence the name.
The book is true to its title. It explains the geology of the earth as seen from the highways. I am not a geologist, nor have I studied the topic, but I love to drive our roads and view the landscape. My Dad studied geology in his days at the University of Washington, and I did pick up an interest in the subject. However, I did get lost in some of the details of the geology found in this book.
I have lived in British Columbia for over 30 years and appreciate the variety of landscapes of the province from northern winters to desert areas, from towering mountains to seemingly never-ending plateaus and numerous valleys. The geography of British Columbia is breathtaking.
This book will help you explore and appreciate what you see on your travels.
As well, I like interesting factoids, and here are a couple I picked up in this book:
- At one time British Columbia was covered with ocean waters. Numerous fossils of ocean creatures are found on the high ridges
- For a time, the lowest dry point in North America (outside of Death Valley) was in an open pit mine in northern Vancouver Island.
- The Fraser River brings “just over 17 million tons per year of fine sand and mud to the delta” which empties south of the City of Vancouver.
- All kinds of mining operations have or are taking place in British Columbia including coal, silver, gold, copper, etc. These were and are mines of large quantities of these and other minerals.
- The challenges of the topography of British Columbia have made for creative and skillful roadbuilding to overcome obstacles of geography and intense weather. From snow sheds to tunneling through mountains transportation experts have found a way.
This book was written by two expert geologists. Even though some of the content was beyond my understanding I gained insights and appreciation for this great area in which I now live.
February 18, 2017
Pack this book with you as you drive through BC anywhere south of 100 Mile House (including all of the TransCanada.) It is a stop, Stop, STOP kind of book pointing out all the cool geological features that you can see from the roadside (or just off the road a bit.) After a clear and fascinating overview of BC geological history and structure, it is organized by highway and stopping points or "notice as you are driving by...." moments. Those green cuts will never be the same again!
I wish they had one for Hwy 16 and north.
I wish they had one for Hwy 16 and north.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews