There has been so much talk of a potential fracking boom in California. But how, exactly, did the Monterey shale formation become so valuable?
How the Monterey Shale came to be
September 2, 2013 •
Geology
The San Francisco Bay Area's crazy quilt-pattern of rock formations -- shaped by earthquakes -- are the key to understanding the region's landscapes. From ice-age dune sand in San Francisco to recently subsided land in the Santa Clara Valley or the veritable maze of earthquake faults in the East Bay, the geology is a fascinating blueprint of the region's natural history.
Fracking the land of the kit fox, and its fellow desert natives
August 21, 2013 •
What’s in store for the desert species who’ve come to rely on an undeveloped landscape now threatened by a California oil boom?
Warren Hall Implosion Reveals Secrets of the Hayward Fault
August 20, 2013 •
Maybe now we’ll know more about what the heck the earthquake-prone Hayward Fault is doing.
In condor country comes a California oil boom
July 18, 2013 •
California could be on the verge of a major oil boom centered a stone’s throw from the Bay Area. What does that mean for the landscape and the wildlife that call that place home?
Dinosaur eggs on Point Reyes Estero Trail?
March 29, 2013 •
Tim Hastings wrote to us wondering about “many large round, almost ‘dinosaur-egg’ like rocks dotting the muddy sands” when he was hiking the Estero Trail. Tim’s guess is that the soft rock is susceptible to erosive shaping during the rise and … Read more
More visitors expected as Pinnacles becomes a national park
February 21, 2013 •
Now that it’s officially on the national park circuit, Pinnacles may be seeing more visitors as diehard national park goers add the geological wonder to their bucket lists.
Should we be worried about asbestos in serpentine rock?
January 31, 2013 •
Should we worry about asbestos in serpentine rock? Yes, a bit. In California, we have North America’s largest exposures. It’s even our official state rock.
Why does Half Moon Bay get winter monster waves?
January 16, 2013 •
The Mavericks surf contest has been called for Sunday, January 20. As we wait for big kahunas to roll in, we ask why Half Moon Bay gets the legendary waves that become the surfer’s delight.
Iconic Tennessee Beach arch suddenly falls into sea
January 9, 2013 •
And suddenly it was gone. The iconic rock arch at Tennessee Beach in Marin unexpectedly gave way, changing the view forever.
Celebrate the New Year with Canopus
December 28, 2012 •
Put yourself in just the right spot at midnight on New Year’s Eve and you may be able to see the second brightest star in the sky that’s normally invisible in much of the Bay Area — Canopus.