Explore Geological Sites Throughout the Lone Star State with Texas Rocks!
Boulder, Colo., USA: The Geological Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the release of the newest book in the Geology Rocks! series, Texas Rocks!: A Guide to Geological Sites in the Lone Star State. This is the first book GSA has published in this series since acquiring the Roadside Geology, Geology Rocks!, and Geology Underfoot series from Mountain Press Publishing Company in late 2024.
Featuring geology as diverse as the state, unearth the secrets to Texas’s billion-year history with this captivating guide to 80 easily accessible geological sites. Explore sites including:
- Fossil reefs in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas
- Dinosaur tracks embedded in limestone at Government Canyon State Natural Area
- Fossils and potholes at Pedernales Falls State Park
- Thick lava flows cut by vertical columns at Limpia Canyon
- Dike-laced granite of Enchanted Rock
- Springs and caves along the Balcones Escarpment
- Salt domes at High Island and ever-changing barrier islands along the coastal plain
- Layered sedimentary rock of Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, and Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park
- Sand dunes composed entirely of gypsum and blue quartz crystals sparkling in Ilanite, an unusual rock formation found only in the Llano region
Texas Rocks! Is filled with 174 beautiful color photographs that complement the engaging text and detailed maps guiding readers to sites hidden in deep canyons, forested hills, and urban parks. Grab a copy and unlock the geological wonders of the Lone Star State.
Texas Rocks!: A Guide to Geological Sites in the Lone Star State
Nathalie Brandes and Paul Brandes (photographer)
Publication date: 15 May 2025
Trade paperback, ISBN 9780813741253, $26.00
9" × 8⅜ ", 168 pages, 174 color photographs, 125 color illustrations and maps, glossary, suggested reading, index
About the Authors
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!
Paul Brandes (Photographer) 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.
About the Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a global professional society with more than 17,000 members across over 100 countries. As a leading voice for the geosciences, GSA advances the understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and fosters collaboration among scientists, educators, and policymakers. GSA publishes Geology, the top-ranked journal in the “geology” category, along with a diverse portfolio of other highly cited scholarly journals and books, conference proceedings, and public science books—several of which rank among Amazon’s top 100 best-selling geology titles.
About Mountain Press Publishing Company
Mountain Press Publishing Company is an independent publisher located in the northern Rocky Mountains in Missoula, Montana. Founded in 1948, Mountain Press publishes nonfiction books on geology, natural history, and the history of the western United States for children and adults.
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