The Marin Headlands terrane is the upper portion of oceanic crust. It consists of pillow basalt, red ribbon chert interlayered with shale, and sandstone. These rocks were once part of the ocean floor of the Farallon plate. Around 100 Ma, they were crammed into the subduction zone and broken into numerous thin fault slices, so [...]

The map above shows directions to the Headlands Institute, located in Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands. Heading North on Highway 101 from San Francisco: Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take the Alexander Avenue exit – the second exit. (1) Merge right onto Alexander Avenue (do not go [...]

Getting to Know and Love Mother Earth “Young people, I want to beg of you always keep your eyes open to what Mother Nature has to teach you. By doing so you will learn many valuable things every day of your life.” -George Washington Carver, scientist and environmental educator I teach Physical Geography at the [...]

A story of The Marin Headlands as told by its environment A visit to the Marin Headlands immediately begs the question: “What is the history of the place?”  As one walks around the park, a question is always hovering in the background: “What was happening here before I set foot in this space?” This area [...]

Chapter 13 * Weathering and Mass Wasting * Geomorphology-landform science and in this case we’re talking about weathering * Uplift in the geomorphic cycle begins process event: o Adjustment o New equilibrium o Event * Slopeàexposed material to transport and erosion * Hard rockàbiggeràsmaller * To make the slope stable-or-Read Angle and Repose by Wallace [...]

No two places on earth are exactly the same, why? Climactic condition: Humidity Heat Elevation Latitude Soil type Non-biotic Ecosystems Self-regulation Communication Nature-balance? Biotic

o   We complain about the weather, but no one does anything about it. o   It is a play of giants, rising, spinning, sink, sweep across the continent, E to N, S to N, N to S o   Water with ability to absorb and release heat energy fuels the drama o   Weather vs. Climate o   Meteorology-not [...]

o Water- 1.36 billion cubic kilometers of wáter 2 billion years ago o Isostacy- weight actually compresses the earth’s surface-when removed as snow, there’s an elevation gain-rebound o CD ROM o Hydrogen Bonding- • Polarity-why water acts “wet” • The positive hydrogen bond is attractive to the negative O- side • Hydrogen bonding creates surface [...]