Texas Rocks!: A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Lone Star State

Unearth the secrets of Texas's billion-year history with this captivating guide to 80 easily accessible geologic sites. With geology as diverse as the state, the sites include dinosaur tracks embedded in limestone, thick lava flows cut by vertical columns, sand dunes composed entirely of gypsum, and blue quartz crystals sparkling in llanite, an unusual rock found only in the Llano region. Beautiful color photographs complement the engaging discussion, and detailed maps guide you to sites hidden in deep canyons, forested hills, and urban parks. With this book in hand, explore mining districts and fossil reefs in the western mountains, dike-laced granite of Enchanted Rock, springs and caves along the Balcones Escarpment, salt domes and ever-changing barrier islands along the coastal plains, and the layered sedimentary rock of Palo Duro, Seminole, and Santa Elena Canyons.

Author: Nathalie N. Brandes
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Published: 05/15/2025
Pages: 168
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 8.90h x 8.30w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780813741253

About the Author
Brandes, Nathalie N.: - Nathalie Brandes grew up studying geology with her father. She earned her BS and MS in geology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and continued graduate studies at Michigan Technological University. She worked at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources; taught various geology courses at Michigan Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas; and currently is a professor of geosciences at a community college in Texas. She is the author of New Mexico Rocks!Brandes, Paul T.: - Paul Brandes earned a BS in geology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and an MS in geology at Michigan Technological University. He has worked as a geology consultant, an environmental enforcement officer, an exploration geologist, and a professor of geology at a community college. He has contributed photographs to several textbooks and laboratory manuals in geology and is on the management team of mindat.org. He is the author of award-winning Michigan Rocks! and the upcoming revised edition of Roadside Geology of Texas.