Staff Pick
Living with Thunder is a stunning coffee table book that doubles as a serious geology study. Gorgeous color photographs of regional landscapes and rock formations are accompanied by accessible, detailed histories, often illustrated with maps and figures. Anyone with an interest in the Pacific Northwest's scenery, history, or geology will thrill to turn the pages of this beautiful book. Recommended By Rhianna W., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Living with Thunder explores the story of the Pacific Northwests rich geologic history, from super continents of billions of years ago to today and into the future
Synopsis
The Pacific Northwest is a region defined by its geology as much as its rugged coastline, drippy westside forests, fertile farms, and canyoned eastside grasslands. These landscapes have been forged by volcanoes, crumpled by faults and sculpted by water and ice. But the Northwest's geologic DNA is rooted in volcanic activity. From the ancient lavas of Washington's Selkirks that freed the planet from a global ice age, to the world-class flood-basalts that dominate the Columbia Basin, to the restless peaks of the High Cascades, the thunder of volcanic eruptions echos through the ages.
In Living with Thunder, geologist and photographer Ellen Morris Bishop offers a fascinating and up-to-date geologic survey of the Northwest--Washington, Oregon, northern California, and western Idaho. New discoveries include Smith Rock as part of Oregon's largest (and most extinct) volcano, portraits of Mount Hood's 1793-1795 eruptions, and new ideas about the origin of the Columbia River basalts, and the course of the ancestral Columbia River.
Intended as an introduction for the general reader and geological non-specialist, Living with Thunder enlivens Northwest geological history by combining engaging science writing with the author's stunning color photographs. In addition, color maps and time charts help guide the reader through time. The book presents evidence of changing ecosystems and ancient life, as well as the Northwest's exceptional record of past climate changes and the implications for our future. The title harks to the Klamath Indian recounting of Mount Mazama's cataclysmic eruption, and the book also examines the confluence between scientific findings and Native American documentation of several major geologic events.
An important work by a gifted scientist and storyteller, Living with Thunder offers a key to understanding the Northwest's unique, long-term volcanic heritage.
Synopsis
The Pacific Northwest is a region defined by its geology. From Mt. St. Helens snowcapped crater to Crater Lakes iconic caldera, evidence of the dramatic forces that wrought the regions modern-day landscape abound. Renowned geologist and photographer Ellen Morris Bishops new book,
Living with Thunder, is a complete and illustrated geological survey of the region, spanning 4.5 billion years.
For readers unfamiliar with the regions dynamic geology, the book offers a comprehensive introduction. Living with Thunder doesnt just encapsulate the regions geological history, it enlivens itin part through its comprehensive geographical and temporal scope, and in part through sheer accessibility.
Living with Thunder is a visual guide that goes far beyond customary description, incorporating vivid language, illustrations, and photography. Bishops compelling images reveal the eons of volcanic rupturing and tectonic grinding that shaped and reshaped the regions landscapes. Additionally, field trip recommendations, instructive charts, and analogies to popular Pacific Northwest destinations make for a book thats easy to navigate: an ideal presentation of the intricacies of geological science for the general public.
This major work by an essential voice in Pacific Northwest geology, promises to endure as a significant reference in the field.
About the Author
Ellen Morris Bishop is the author of four books including the award winning In Search of Ancient Oregon. When not teaching or writing, she is often in the field, camera in hand, documenting the geographically rich region through her world-class photography. She is currently a visiting professor of Geology and Environmental Studies at Whitman College in Washington.