Travel stories with mild geo-flavor
North of Los Angeles lies a striking sandstone outcrop known as the Devil’s Punchbowl. I’d seen it before from the air— it’s right where the Transverse Ranges of Southern California give way to the Mojave Desert, directly adjacent to the San Andreas Fault. But it was not until this year that I finally had a … Read more
I’ve often pondered why so many destinations that captivate my imagination lie perpetually out of reach. No matter where I’ve lived, these places remain scattered to opposite ends of the Earth. Are these far-off vistas truly more breathtaking than the landscapes nearby, or does their appeal stem solely from the novelty of their remoteness? 1. … Read more
California. The oldest, tallest, and largest (by volume) known living trees on Earth are all around the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Each of them is worth a separate visit. The oldest trees – bristlecone pines An ongoing research project is investigating a cypress tree in Alerce Costero National Park in Chile that might be … Read more
Yes! Among the three major types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic), metamorphic rocks might not be quite straightforward to identify – unless there are extremely distinct foliated textures. Recently I encountered some impressive metamorphic rocks in three locations in North America: Kings Canyon in California, Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, and Tablelands … Read more