Geology Underfoot in Western Washington

by David Tucker

“Western Washington is a dynamic geologic environment with rich, complex, and diverse geology. With active volcanoes, sediment-laden rivers, glaciers, wave-washed beaches, ancient and active faults, and a wide variety of rock types, it is a great place to experience the story of the Earth’s ongoing evolution.”—Dave Tucker from the preface to Geology Underfoot in Western Washington

From the crest of the Cascades to the Pacific, and from the Columbia River north to the Canadian border, the ghosts of deep time are widely exposed in western Washington. The book’s 22 chapters, or vignette, lead you to easily accessible stops along Washington’s highways—and some trails, too. A healthy dose of full-color illustrations and photos compliments the author’s illuminating prose, further demystifying Washington’s geologic wonders. With this book in hand, you’ll soon feel like an Evergreen State geology expert.

Genres: Geology, Science, Nonfiction, History

390 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2015

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

David Tucker lives in Bellingham, Washington. He has a master s degree in geology and is a research associate in the geology department at Western Washington University. He is also a director of the Mount Baker Volcano Research Center, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that raises funds to support research at the active volcano and educate the public about the mountain s volcanic hazards. Tucker has been mapping Baker s geology since the mid-1990s, in particular the distribution of volcanic ash deposits. He leads public field trips and gives presentations about the geology of northwest Washington, and he is the author of a popular blog, Northwest Geology Field Trips.

Reviews

[David Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book for the budding geologist or any one interested in earth science. Any book that can teach me plate techtonics in a single chapter and actually enable me to understand it, is amazing. I look forward to visiting all of these places with my family and exploring the wonders of the earths, primarily Washington’s natural history.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild and crazy geology was happening in our neighborhood for at least the last 100 million years! This book covers 21 Western WA unusual geologic places, from the Columbia Gorge to Mt. Baker.
The northwestern geology introduction is very clearly written to get you rolling if you're new to North American geology.
Each vignette/chapter starts out with detailed maps and directions to drive there, trails and useful stops around the area. The geologic interest of the site is described, along with really nice and useful graphics. I didn't know about "Honeycomb Weathering", or that there's a very old caldera near Baker, or that the Olympic Mountains could be described as the filling in a giant, rock taco. Interesting language and analogies increase the learning and fun.
I would like my own copy of this book and drive around to many of these unusual places! Fascinating!!
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[Stephanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book while on a camping road trip in Washington. It can be a little dense with some of the information, and then the next section will be immediately clear and understandable with even a Hands-On science activity to explain. If you're one of those geology minded folks, this is an interesting book to tuck into

[Charles Connolly]

I liked it.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, the author does a good job of explaining concepts like plate tectonics, mineral formation, and timescale to those who might not be familiar with the concepts (like me!) There's also plenty of colored diagrams and pictures to illustrate what's being talked about. Definitely the best book on geology that I've read.

[Jorgon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent guide to several very cool spots in Western Washington, complete with the general exposition of geological basics and specific descriptions. I have so far visited 6 of these; the rest are on my list. More detailed than Roadside Geology series, but of course, containing fewer sites.

[ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had discovered this years ago, it would make a great companion to many road trips. Locations are clearly detailed and thoroughly described. Good geologic info,if a bit technical at times. but you don't have to pass a quiz so you can skip anything that makes your eyes glaze over

[Howard Frisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like everything about this book: the informative text, the awesome photographs, and the color diagrams. I have read several books on Washington State geology, and this book has a lot of fascinating information not found in other geology books. Whoever created the diagrams did a really good job and explaining complex concepts.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an in-depth look at our state's geology.

An equally great book on the geology of the Pacific Northwest is another 5-star book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

[Dale Grauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book for people who enjoy learning and sightseeing. The book opens with a crash course in geology. After that, each chapters guides the reader through appreciating a remarkable geological landmark. Ideally, you would visit each landmark as you read about it, but most chapters are good reading even if you can't make the drive.