Great Lakes Rocks: 4 Billion Years of Geologic History in the Great Lakes Region

by Stephen E Kesler

The geologic story of the Great Lakes region is one of the most remarkable of any place on Earth. Great Lakes Rocks takes readers on this fascinating journey through geologic history, beginning with an investigation of the surface features—the hills and valleys, waterfalls and caves, and the Great Lakes themselves—that we encounter on a daily basis. From there the book digs deeper into the past, and readers learn about the amazing techniques geologists have used to reconstruct the events that shaped this region millions and even billions of years before humans set foot on Earth. Throughout, the book gives special attention to the link between the region’s geology and its modern history, including the impacts of geology on settlement patterns as well as the development of industries and the present-day economy. Other discussed topics include natural hazards that are geologic in nature, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion, as well as information on rocks, minerals, and ancient life seen in fossils. Written for nonspecialist readers, this book provides a detailed but easy-to-follow introduction to the geology of the Great Lakes region, and it is an ideal fit for introductory geology courses, including those aimed at nonscience majors.

Genres: Geology, Nonfiction, Science

368 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[Doug Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the geology of the Great Lakes region going all the way (and I mean ALL the way) back to the beginning. I always thought that this area was geologically pretty boring since most everything we see around us here is some form of glacial sediment. Go down deep enough, however, and there are some fascinating structures that have been buried for millions -- even billions -- of years. This book was published just a few years ago and benefits from the latest findings using advanced techniques for the dating of ancient rocks that were not previously available.

The book takes an approach that was as first rather non-intuitive to me by starting with the upper, most recent layers and moving backwards in time. I certainly learned a lot here about the history of the particular continental fragment that we are on -- one of the oldest on the planet. Things like how the copper got into the "Copper Country" of the Upper Peninsula can be found here as well as the origin of the other minerals that have helped drive the economy of the area over time. There's even some oil and natural gas down there if we ever need to get to it.

It is written in a very clear way that is easy to follow, with a number of b&w and color photos, maps, diagrams, etc. The only problem is that geology comes with an extensive vocabulary and terminology of its own and there's no way to tell the story without resorting to a lot of fairly technical terms. I have read a number of other books on geology and still managed to get lost a few times. Still a book I'd highly recommend, especially to people who have a particular interest in this area.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kesler's new book, "Great Lakes Rocks," is fundamental to any knowledge of the Great Lakes. His enormous knowledge and dexterity in dealing with the complexity of basic geology is inspiring. What I found most enlightening was placing our current situation (Climate Change, etc.) , mere milliseconds in geological time, into context. You learn about the Greenhouse and Icehouse phases of our 4 billion year history and the related rise and fall of continents and oceans. He also deals handily with species extinction including mankind. "Great Lakes Rocks" is a great book for any amateur or professional geology student, and yet it is very dense in some chapters. I think he says he intended it is a textbook for an introductory geology college course and you have to read and reread some paragraphs multiple times. The geological time period charts, maps, and various rock formations in black and white and color plates are extremely helpful.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at the geological history of the Great Lakes region. Ranging from Michigan over northwest to Minnesota and over to the St. Lawrence Seaway and Canadian Shield, Kesler's book covers a broad geographical area...and about 3 billion years of geological history.

I found the early chapters of the book, focusing on the region's glacial history and gradual rebound, to be the easiest to understand and the most compelling. As we ventured further back in time, I found myself getting mixed up with the maps and sediment layers. Kesler is patient and thorough, but I didn't feel I always the best sense of the big picture. Still, it's a good resource to have handy for future reference.

P.S. Anyone interested in this book should watch the "Build Illinois" series with Robert Vaiden from the Illinois State Geological Survey. Great stuff.