Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau

by Ron Blakey, Wayne Ranney

Imagine seeing the varied landscapes of the earth as they used to look throughout hundreds of millions of years of earth history. Tropical seas lap on the shores of an Arizona beach. Immense sand dunes shift and swirl in Sahara-like deserts in Utah and New Mexico. Ancient rivers spill from a mountain range in Colorado that was a precursor to the modern Rockies. Such flights of geologic fancy are now tangible through the thought-provoking and beautiful paleogeographic maps, reminiscent of the maps in world atlases we all paged through as children, of Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. Ron Blakey of Northern Arizona University is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau. For more than fifteen years, he has meticulously created maps that show how numerous past landscapes gave rise to the region’s stunning geologic formations. Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau is the first book to showcase Blakey’s remarkable work. His maps are accompanied by text by Wayne Ranney, geologist and award-winning author of Carving Grand Canyon. Ranney takes readers on a fascinating tour of the many landscapes depicted in the maps, and Blakey and Ranney’s fruitful collaboration brings the past alive like never

More than 70 state-of-the-art paleogeographic maps of the region and of the world, developed over many years of geologic research

Detailed yet accessible text that covers the geology of the plateau in a way nongeologists can appreciate

More than 100 full-color photographs, diagrams, and illustrations

A detailed guide of where to go to see the spectacular rocks of the region

Genres: Geology, Science, Nonfiction, History, Palaeontology

156 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This oversize paperback is filled with big, beautiful paleogeographic maps, showing the geological evolution of the Plateau in detail over the past 525 million years (and in outline back to 1.75 billion years ago). A remarkable cartographic and geologic achievement. Highly recommended. If you have any interest in the geology of the Southwest, you need this book!

You can get a preview of these great maps in Wayne Ranney's Sedona Through Time guidebook, and at the project website http://deeptimemaps.com/southwest-nor... , but the oversize format is really needed to do them justice. A beautiful book.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

To put it practically, this the geology and map nerd’s Bible, Koran, and Torah; and nirvana and elysian fields and eden and Shangri-la.

I have always loved the idea of heaven, if one can design their own, as a place where, in whatever shape or form necessary to the structure and mystery of the universe, I am perched on a cloud watching the planets rotate and revolve, continents collide and separate, and mountains rise and fall, and where the colors of autumn seep down from the north to the south, and the colors of spring reverse. Etcetera. Repeat. The ultimate slow motion time lapse film. But real, where time is irrelevant and my spiritual-ness just watches. This book creates such amazing images of the planet, specifically narrowing in on the 4 states of the Colorado Plateau in the past few, umm, billions of years. Let me repeat. Past 1.75 or so billions of years. I have been waiting for this book for forever, and even though it was published in 2008, I am appropriating it as brand new discovery. All mine, my new discovery, gran tesoro mio. I wish I could’ve been the first person to lay eyes on Corona Arch, or Delicate Arch, or even the canyon and stream leading to Morning Glory Arch. I have been places where I thought that as well, the Grand Canyon, naturally, and Yellowstone: Great Prismatic Spring. Walking in Discovery Park in Seattle, and rounding a bend, and there is Mount Rainier, rising from the flat sea level like a mythical god.

So this book is the holy grail, for those of us who have ever felt the sacredness of the Colorado Plateau. I have read a lot of geology and some of it is over my head, and I don’t have the best memory for eras and periods and epochs; but I love it especially when the writer (like the amazing John McPhee) writes of geology in a “Big Picture” style. The difference between metamorphic and igneous rocks isn’t big picture; the paleogeographic maps in this book define big picture: here is Utah 1.255 million years ago in the Rodinian supercontinent where it was near the equator. And then here it is 251 million years ago under the ocean along the shore of Laurasia as it plowed into Gondwana forming Pangaea. Focus in on more specific time periods: 312 million years ago, rivers and alluvial fans made up the landscape of Utah, and then 308 million years ago, shallow seas covered the land. Then eolian dune fields, a sea of dunes. Then back to shallow seas. And back again. It is incredibly fascinating, and for me, incredibly holy. It evokes wonder and awe in such a way that is religious and spiritual, and joyful.

It blows your mind wide open, and again and again.

The book even goes further and includes pictures of present day landscapes that once existed in the Colorado Plateau area, such as Aldabra Lagoon in the Seychelles as an example of the Colorado Plateau landscape in the Mississippian; or the Atlantic coast of Namibia where dunes meet the ocean showing what it looked like in the Permian. Gorgeous imagery to accompany phenomenal science. Poetry and science, art and fact.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professional geologists may find this book simplistic, but for the rest of us, at least rock/geology/landscape nerds, this book is a dream. And I'll bet that even the pros admire this book. Excellent descriptions of the landscape of the Colorado Plateau and (surrounding area) as it changed over the last two BILLION years. All the iconic scenery is covered in depth: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, the Moab region, the San Juan Mountains, the Rio Grande valley and much, much more. Lots of photos and a story behind each of them.

Best of all, by far, are the maps...the product of many decades of research. Beautifully rendered maps that show the evolution of the land over deep time. Not just the Colorado Plateau either, but the entirety (almost) of the 4-corners states, and some that show all of North America as it all unfolded: continents colliding and rifting apart, mountain ranges rising and falling, seas encroaching and receding, and the mark all of it left on the 4-corners region of North America. The whole, big, epic story. State and county boundaries are included on each map, so you can find, say, Taos or San Juan counties and figure out what was happening at a given point in time.

Geology nerds will dig this, but so will anyone who loves the redrock scenery of the region. Highly recommended. Currently unavailable in the usual places, but you can still order it from the Grand Canyon Trust.

[Joyce]

I thought I knew a fair amount about geology, but I learned more from this slim stunner -- the life's work of two Southwestern geologists -- than I ever dreamed possible. I'm so enamored of this book, I'm going to buy my own after keeping the library's copy for over a month.

Growing up in the Great Northwest, inevitably I was taught a lot about volcanism and glaciation but relatively little about the sedimentary rocks... which to be frank I assumed were dead boring and all the same -- all that sediment just lying there statically, hardening for centuries. But by using photos and maps of contemporary areas which are similar to the ancient environments that produced the limestones, sandstones, mudstones, and volcanic fields of the Southwest, these authors show that quite a variety of different processes count as "sedimentary". By the time you're done, the differences between the various types of rock will be as obvious as those between different types of alcoholic beverages... you'll no more mistake a limestone for a sandstone than you'd dream of mixing up vodka and bourbon.

The maps are the heart of the book, and they are amazing technical accomplishments. Although I'd visited the Colorado Plateau area several times, I had assumed it was relatively dull compared to to the drama of the Cascades. The maps give graphic, consistent proof of the wrongness of such a belief. The Colorado Plateau turns out to be dynamic and mysterious beyond all expectation. Just one data point to illustrate: the Grand Canyon hadn't even BEGUN to be carved until practically the last chapter of the story!

Don't be fooled by the visual splendor and apparent briefness of the package here: multiple careful perusals will be amply rewarded by deeper understanding. Hikers will especially appreciate the big picture, since many of the great National Parks are in this area but it can be a little bit difficult to truly grasp how they relate to each other geologically. A worthy companion to beloved classics such as "Geology of the National Parks", "Basin and Range", and the "Roadside Geology" series.

[Emily Devenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think of the nerdiest comic book fan drooling over his favorite graphic novel – that's how I look when I have this book in my hands. As a geology student who lives in Arizona, I have good reason to be such a geek. Every time I visit the Colorado Plateau, I have a thousand questions about how the strata formed. This book answers most of those questions, and illustrates those answers beautifully with diagrams, cross-section charts, photographs, and “paleogeographic maps.” Those maps allow the reader to see what the area may have looked like in the past, from the last part of the Precambrian Era, 1.7 billion years ago, through the Mesozoic with its dinosaurs, to the the Cenozoic and our present epoch. If you've ever tried to visualize the supercontinents, or what the Four Corners area may have looked like when it was turned on its side and hugging the equator, the paleogeographic maps are hugely helpful.

Readers who are more interested in archaeology will gain some perspective as to why the ruins in the Southwest are unique – we've got the perfect strata for canyons, creeks, and cliff dwellings. And anyone who would like more background on the geology of their favorite National Park on the Colorado Plateau will find this book handy. As for me, I'm a happy geek pouring over the details of how each layer was formed and where it's exposed in this landscape I love so much. I will refer to this book again again, until it falls apart and I have to get another one. It's money well spent.

[Chad Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential for understanding the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau and greater Southwest! The paleogeographic maps give an easy-to-interpret snapshot view of different points in geologic time, when the Colorado Plateau was variably covered by shallow seas, meandering rivers, deltas, sand dunes, and so on. An awesome book for novices and experts alike.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It starts with a graphic of the geological strata in the Grand Canyon, follows them upward to the additional layers found as high as Bryce Canyon (15000' of rock, total), and then gives a step-by-step description—with detailed time-lapse maps!—about how the strata came to be.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book. Good primer on how different rock layers formed on the colorado plateau. Wish it had more interesting tidbits about each rock layer though instead of it being so formulaic.

[Harry Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something every geologist should have on their shelf!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an absolutely epic research. Only the true geologists will appreciate the amount of time and effort that went into this.

[LAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

As real estate agents know it is all about location, location, location. How does beach front property sound? Well, if you live in southeastern Utah today you're too late. We were sitting on the shore just a few millions of years ago, and we'll have a long wait until the tide comes in!

Tracking the rise of the Colorado Plateau is what Ancient Landscapes (Grand Canyon Association, 2008) is all about. Ron Blakey and Wayne Ranney present a non-technical and very readable geologic history of the deserts and red rocks of the Four Corners area. The real key to their book are the incredible maps. Not only do they illustrate the emergence of the plateau from the depths of the earth, they impose modern state and county boundaries so you can really see what happened in the areas you enjoy.

Take Monticello for example. When the authors begin their story, the location is on the bottom of an ocean. As formation of the North American continent continues, the future townsite goes through several periods of uplifting and sand deposition, interspersed with erosion and flooding. Rivers come and go, as do inland seas and ocean fingers. About 30 million years ago volcanic activity begins to dot southern Utah, forming the basis for the Henry, LaSal, and Abajo Mountains. But still there is no Colorado River, which doesn't show up until about 5 million years ago.

Flipping through the maps is like being in a time machine. This is a wonderful book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was prompted to buy this book by my visit to the Museum of Northern Arizona, where an exhibit of the theories presented enthralled me for quite some time. I have always had a hard time envisioning how the rim of the Grand Canyon, now 7000 feet above sea level, was once at the bottom of the ocean. This book traces the geological history of the 4 corners area (and the maps let one look at most of the US as an added bonus) both visually showing through simulated maps and explaining through text just how these geological changes occurred over approximately 4.8 billion years of the earth's existence. It also identifies National Parks where one can go for oneself and see the geological strata laid out. It's a perfect book for when I visit Sedona--one of the places recommended. Perhaps the most fascinating map was the one that projects land masses 100,000 years into the future. Some of those sci-fi movies are based in fact after all. And had I stayed in Orlando, I likely would have waterfront property. Where us humans are 100,000 years from now, no mention was made. All in all, a fascinating and spell-binding non-fiction work.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is filled with beautiful maps and photos of the Colorado Plateau which covers large portions of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. The accompanying text is fairly easily understood by the lay man. It is a wonderful book for anyone who is familiar with or fond of geology and the outdoors of this portion of the West. One thing that was missing from this book was a detailed reference map. There was a reference map buried in the last chapter with a few landmarks, but a more detailed map with clearly labeled parks, monuments, cities, and roads which were mentioned in the text would have improved the reading especially because few people can be so intimately knowledgeable about the entire area.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been interested in the Colorado Plateau for years, and we recently spent a week and a half touring around Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. I've read lots of books on geology for laypeople (like the Roadside Geology series), but this book and it's clear illustrations and design made it all fit together in a way that I've been lacking. Next time I visit anywhere on the Colorado Plateau, this book is coming along.

[Les Gehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book on the geologic history of the Colorado Plateau. It packs a lot of information into its 176 pages along with a lot of excellent illustrations showing the Colorado Plateau at various times in geologic history. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the geology of the Colorado Plateau.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the all time best books I have ever read. It is certainly the best geology book I have read. It is filled with stunning paleogeographic maps that illustrate the geological history of the region over the 1.8 billion years. It has expanded my understanding of the landscape features I have been photographing and will be a major guide for my photography trips in the future.