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Great Plains Geology
Great Plains Geology concisely guides readers through the geological development of the Great Plains region. It describes the distinct features of fifty-seven geologic sites, including fascinating places such as Raton Pass in Colorado and New Mexico, the Missouri Breaks of Montana, and the Ashfall Fossil Beds in Nebraska. This guide addresses the tricky question of what constitutes the Great Plains, showing that the region is defined in part through its unique geologic features.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 8, 2025
Love the maps. I wish Figure 5 was in color though. Solid descriptions too 👍🏼
May 25, 2021
Even though other books on geology claim to be written for the layperson, this is the first book I have read that actually is. The geological history of the Great Plains region is presented as a story rather than in the usual scientific jargon used in other books, which makes it much more accessible and relevant for someone like me on a casual road trip. All I really want to know is what I'm looking at, and this book tells me that.
May 9, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
I am going to disagree with the first sentence of the publisher's description of this book. That sentence (as found on Goodreads and on Amazon) reads: "Great Plains Geology concisely guides readers through the geological development of the Great Plains region. " But this book doesn't guide the reader through the geological development of the Great Plains as much as it does provide a sort of travelogue of interesting geological features through the Great Plains. In fact, Diffendal himself writes in his preface that the book is:
The book is broken into three sections, the first two being relatively brief. Chapter One -"What is the Great Plains?" sets about to define the area, which I had thought would be pretty direct, but it seems as though there is no hard and fast definition of the region. Diffendal makes a strong case for his definition.
Chapter Two - "Geologic History of the Great Plains" is quite interesting. As a lay person with no solid science background I enjoyed getting this very easy to read history of how this particular geology was formed.
But it is Chapter Three - "Visiting the Great Plains" - that really proves valuable for the traveler. With fifty-seven different locations described, this is an absolute treat. Diffendal describes unusual features to look for and in some cases where to go to see the evidence of geologic history, and in at least one case something a little more current:
This list of geologic sites to visit, many of them in State or National Parks in the United States and Canada is nicely put together and the reader can't help but feel Diffendal's excitement for the geology he describes in these areas. That excitement is infectious and it definitely makes me want to hurry out and get to all these locations.
While I won't get to all these sites - I'll be lucky to get to just a few of them - I will definitely want to take this book along.
The book is nicely illustrated, often with photos taken by the author.
Diffendal wraps up his book with:
My response is: "Yes you did. Thank you."
Looking for a good book? Great Plains Geology by R. F. Diffendal is a wonderful geology resource and travel-guide for anyone with even a speck of interest in visiting sites of geologic interest.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgally, in exchange for an honest review.
I am going to disagree with the first sentence of the publisher's description of this book. That sentence (as found on Goodreads and on Amazon) reads: "Great Plains Geology concisely guides readers through the geological development of the Great Plains region. " But this book doesn't guide the reader through the geological development of the Great Plains as much as it does provide a sort of travelogue of interesting geological features through the Great Plains. In fact, Diffendal himself writes in his preface that the book is:
intended for ecotourists, anyone with a broad interest in geology and some general education in science, professional geologists and geographers wanting to become more familiar with the region, and students, farmers, ranchers, and k-12 educators who want to know about the Great Plains and its geological development.
The book is broken into three sections, the first two being relatively brief. Chapter One -"What is the Great Plains?" sets about to define the area, which I had thought would be pretty direct, but it seems as though there is no hard and fast definition of the region. Diffendal makes a strong case for his definition.
Chapter Two - "Geologic History of the Great Plains" is quite interesting. As a lay person with no solid science background I enjoyed getting this very easy to read history of how this particular geology was formed.
But it is Chapter Three - "Visiting the Great Plains" - that really proves valuable for the traveler. With fifty-seven different locations described, this is an absolute treat. Diffendal describes unusual features to look for and in some cases where to go to see the evidence of geologic history, and in at least one case something a little more current:
I may remember this Texas park for, among other things, being the place where I saw my first tarantula in the wild. It was big, fast, and aggressive!
This list of geologic sites to visit, many of them in State or National Parks in the United States and Canada is nicely put together and the reader can't help but feel Diffendal's excitement for the geology he describes in these areas. That excitement is infectious and it definitely makes me want to hurry out and get to all these locations.
While I won't get to all these sites - I'll be lucky to get to just a few of them - I will definitely want to take this book along.
The book is nicely illustrated, often with photos taken by the author.
Diffendal wraps up his book with:
...many of the sites described do not fit the stereotypical view of the Great Plains as continuously flat and grass-covered, but that was one of my goals. I hope that I have provided you with a better understanding of the tremendous variation in the landscapes, geology, ecology, and archaeology of this wondrous place and have given you the itch to explore it either for the first time or once again in more detail.
My response is: "Yes you did. Thank you."
Looking for a good book? Great Plains Geology by R. F. Diffendal is a wonderful geology resource and travel-guide for anyone with even a speck of interest in visiting sites of geologic interest.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgally, in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2017
I picked up this enjoyable book in the bookstore at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in the panhandle of Nebraska while on our recent vacation. That night during my insomnia I began it and have been snatching bits and pieces since.
After helpful introductory chapters, the bulk of the book is a series of descriptions of prominent sites throughout the plains. This makes it a good travel guide as well. A handful of those sites we had seen on our trip.
The three most interesting things I learned reading the book--
1) The Black Hills was a single dome uplifted at the time of the Rocky Mountains uplift and then weathered down to create the peaks and valleys.
2) At Scottsbluff National Monument is not an uplift. The "original" floor of the plains was the top of the bluff. The plain lying far below is in fact erosion from the Platte River. The author said to stand atop the bluff and realize the unimaginable amount of sediment that has been washed down river and ultimately to the Gulf. Maybe Louisiana was made from Nebraska?
3) The Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico and Texas are ancient coral reefs. Carlsbad Caverns is the remnant of those reefs.
After helpful introductory chapters, the bulk of the book is a series of descriptions of prominent sites throughout the plains. This makes it a good travel guide as well. A handful of those sites we had seen on our trip.
The three most interesting things I learned reading the book--
1) The Black Hills was a single dome uplifted at the time of the Rocky Mountains uplift and then weathered down to create the peaks and valleys.
2) At Scottsbluff National Monument is not an uplift. The "original" floor of the plains was the top of the bluff. The plain lying far below is in fact erosion from the Platte River. The author said to stand atop the bluff and realize the unimaginable amount of sediment that has been washed down river and ultimately to the Gulf. Maybe Louisiana was made from Nebraska?
3) The Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico and Texas are ancient coral reefs. Carlsbad Caverns is the remnant of those reefs.
March 23, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!
This book was wonderful and highly readable for a variety of audiences. The author initially provides some background on how the Great Plains are defined and where they are located. I have an environmental background with an emphasis on geology, but I wasn't bored by the background detail. Nor do I believe the writing was over-the-head of those without such a background. The background simply set the stage for where we were "going". As I read, I got my maps out and learned quite a bit. The Great Plains include my favorite parts of the country and I have traveled through them relatively extensively. I looked at my own pictures of some of the places discussed and could often see what geologic features the author was pointing out. I was introduced to new places, particularly in Canada, where I could further explore, with specific details on finding the best sites and sights. This book helped me understand the geological history of an area I am strongly drawn to, and I will definitely use this book to help plan future travels. Wonderful mix of text, figures, and photographs.
Highly, highly recommended.
This book was wonderful and highly readable for a variety of audiences. The author initially provides some background on how the Great Plains are defined and where they are located. I have an environmental background with an emphasis on geology, but I wasn't bored by the background detail. Nor do I believe the writing was over-the-head of those without such a background. The background simply set the stage for where we were "going". As I read, I got my maps out and learned quite a bit. The Great Plains include my favorite parts of the country and I have traveled through them relatively extensively. I looked at my own pictures of some of the places discussed and could often see what geologic features the author was pointing out. I was introduced to new places, particularly in Canada, where I could further explore, with specific details on finding the best sites and sights. This book helped me understand the geological history of an area I am strongly drawn to, and I will definitely use this book to help plan future travels. Wonderful mix of text, figures, and photographs.
Highly, highly recommended.
January 19, 2018
My problem with this book is that you would get a better and more realistic list online. This book briefly mentions two Kansas sites and leaves Oklahoma out completely. Any book or website would prove that this is incorrect and that these two states have many geological features that makes their plains just as unique and worth visiting as the other sites in the book.
August 23, 2023
Maybe just not quite what I was expecting? Some good tidbits, but didn’t go into enough detail on the parts I was interested in. Good ideas of places to visit, though not enough information about them.
June 7, 2021
This is a simple yet engaging guide to the geology of the Great Plains. The author first explains what the Great Plains are (including a composite map showing 50 maps to illustrate both the general area as well as just how difficult it is to pin the region down) and includes a very basic history from the Precambrian craton up through the present.
The author then proceeds from North to South showing different cool sites to visit. These are categorized by state/province such as Saskatchewan, Nebrasaka, etc. All of these include photographs mostly by the author, who in just a few sentences explains the nature and origins of the features which are currently visible to the casual tourist (i.e. no extensive geological history with cross-sections and such). The end of the book contains appendices with a broad overview of the 10 physiographic subdivisions, a timeline of scientists, a glossary, tips for travelers, and a bibliograph).
This book gets 5 stars not only because of what the author said but because of what the author DIDN'T say. So many books are written by very enthusiastic people with editors who were too nice and permit tedium and verbosity. This book is short, to the point, and it leaves me hungry for more. Now that I know about these sites, I want to check out some of the books in the bibliography and go visit them in the future.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in visiting any of these areas. The author shows that the Great Plains are not JUST featureless grasslands, but are rather full of sites of geological, paleontological, an archaeological interest.
The author then proceeds from North to South showing different cool sites to visit. These are categorized by state/province such as Saskatchewan, Nebrasaka, etc. All of these include photographs mostly by the author, who in just a few sentences explains the nature and origins of the features which are currently visible to the casual tourist (i.e. no extensive geological history with cross-sections and such). The end of the book contains appendices with a broad overview of the 10 physiographic subdivisions, a timeline of scientists, a glossary, tips for travelers, and a bibliograph).
This book gets 5 stars not only because of what the author said but because of what the author DIDN'T say. So many books are written by very enthusiastic people with editors who were too nice and permit tedium and verbosity. This book is short, to the point, and it leaves me hungry for more. Now that I know about these sites, I want to check out some of the books in the bibliography and go visit them in the future.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in visiting any of these areas. The author shows that the Great Plains are not JUST featureless grasslands, but are rather full of sites of geological, paleontological, an archaeological interest.
April 1, 2017
GNAB I received a free electronic copy of this great guide to the ecology of the Great Plains from Netgalley, R. F. Diffendal, and University of Nebraska Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
This is an excellent and much appreciated explanation of the geology behind the spectacular scenery found in most of the central and some of the Southwestern portions of the US. Great Plains Geology is written in a fashion easily understood by laymen and is a wonderful guide to planning your 'field trips' to areas of extreme interest to nature lovers. It is a book I will want to refer to often, before I hit the road in quest of natural wonders. Thank you again, folks, for sharing this work with me.
This is an excellent and much appreciated explanation of the geology behind the spectacular scenery found in most of the central and some of the Southwestern portions of the US. Great Plains Geology is written in a fashion easily understood by laymen and is a wonderful guide to planning your 'field trips' to areas of extreme interest to nature lovers. It is a book I will want to refer to often, before I hit the road in quest of natural wonders. Thank you again, folks, for sharing this work with me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews