Clik here to view.
The Hawai'i That Was: Hanalei, Where the Waterfalls Seem to Stream From the...
Paradise is a wonderful place as long as you have something to eat...The islands of Hawai'i are often described as paradise, but the island ecosystem that existed prior to human colonization offered...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Hawai'i That Was: Rising Out of Depression on Kaua'i, and Sleeping Giants
There's a different part of Kaua'i, one that doesn't quite fit the image of dramatic high cliffs plunging into the sea. It's a lowland, a region of lesser hills and ridges that only rise a thousand...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Record Rainfall in my Little Town
It's been a rainy night. At 1:00PM this afternoon, I've recorded 2.05 inches from a storm that began yesterday evening. Added to the 0.48 inches a few weeks back, we've had 2.53 inches in the month of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Wet Day in Yosemite Valley; "Spring" Comes REALLY Early
October is nominally an autumn month, a time of falling leaves and low-flowing rivers after a dry summer and above-average temperatures. In Yosemite Valley, the waterfalls are dry. It might not be the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pareidolia and Fall Foliage Art from the Sierra Nevada
Pareidolia is a trick of our minds that can cause us to interpret random images or patterns of light and shadow as faces. We were in the Sierra Nevada the other day ahead of Sunday's storm, looking for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
"Spring" Arrives in California's Great Valley
Now that I've got your attention, let's get to the post (explanation below)In the great Central Valley of California there are only two seasons -- spring and summer. The spring begins with the first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Moment of Beauty in Tumultuous Times: Sandhill Cranes at the Merced...
It's no secret to my friends and family that I have followed the political scene closely, as bizarre as it has been. The many discussions and worries lead to all kinds of stress. In times like that, it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I'm With Science, I'm With the Wild Places, and Therefore I'm With Her
Athabasca Glacier in Alberta, CanadaBy and large, I avoid politics on my blog. I'm motivated in my writing to explore the beautiful places of the planet, and to enlarge our view of the geological...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Hawai'i That Was: Into the Last Stand of Wilderness in Kaua'i, the...
Yes, the last stand. To explain, Kaua'i is a relatively small island, the deeply eroded remnant of a giant volcanic shield. Most people of Kaua'i live along the narrow coastal plains that nearly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two Kinds of Falls Today in Yosemite Valley
There are two kinds of falls right now in Yosemite Valley. One comes from the time of year, and the other is a little bit unusual, the result of some powerful storms a few weeks ago. Fall in California...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Supermoon! Well, Really an Excuse to Be Out at Night on the Tuolumne River
The SUPERMOON is really a lot of unnecessary hype that doesn't really mean much. You'd think the gigantic moon would be grazing the outer edge of our atmosphere and causing supervolcano eruptions and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Hawai'i That Was: What the Worst Disaster You Can Think of? The Terror of...
Wait, what? Terror? Na Pali? That place isn't terrifying, unless you have a fear of heights. It's one of the most beautiful places on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. What could be scary...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Hawai'i That Was: The Lost Wetlands of the Mana Plain on Kaua'i
The Hawai'i that was...This blog series has been looking at the natural history and geology of the Hawaiian Islands against the backdrop of the changes brought about by colonization around a thousand...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why did the Road Cross the San Andreas Fault? 14 Years of Geologic Change...
2002I've been leading geology field studies trips to lots of places in the American West for 27 years and started to take digital pictures in 2001. I sometimes struggle to find new things to photograph...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving, and Safety for Those on the Road (Plus new...
Here's hoping that you all have a fine Thanksgiving holiday and that your travels are safe and fun. I offer up one of the things that I am truly thankful for: politicians that put aside their many...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Monitoring the California Drought, Via the Road
There are two ways to evaluate and monitor a drought. There's the usual method, where people use data on precipitation, snowpack level and streamflow discharge and all that, and it's all well and good....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fog Returning to the Great Valley...Maybe
The fog here in the Great Valley is legendary. The so-called Tule Fogs can last for weeks, hiding the land in an impenetrable mist. People who would panic at the thought of driving with their eyes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wandering Through a Sand Wilderness
To a child who was raised along the beaches of Southern California, the Oregon coast comes as quite a shock. Beaches to me were places like Huntington or Balboa, where wall-to-wall people struggled to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We Only Have Education to Guide Us: A Pledge
The glaciers of Glacier National Park, which once numbered more than a hundred, will be gone by 2030 or so.The recent election has seen the loss of many things, which in terms of science and scientific...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Where are the Heroes Anymore?...RIP John Glenn
Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualitiesPhoto from NASAIt's hard to find heroes today, although they most certainly exist. Some people...
View Article