About
Andrew Alden earned his geology degree at the University of New Hampshire and moved back to the Bay Area to work at the U.S. Geological Survey for six years. He has written on geology for About.com since its founding in 1997. In 2007, he started the Oakland Geology blog, which won recognition as "Best of the East Bay" from the East Bay Express in 2010. In writing about geology in the Bay Area and surroundings, he hopes to share some of the useful and pleasurable insights that geologists give us—not just facts about the deep past, but an attitude that might be called the deep present.
Read his previous contributions to QUEST, a project dedicated to exploring the Science of Sustainability.
Website: http://oaklandgeology.wordpress.com
All Contributions by Andrew:
Geological Side Trips from Interstate 80: Through Folsom to Loomis
An hour of crowded freeway or a jaunt through granite, greenery and history? The choice is yours.
Post on May 02, 2013
Landslide at the Calaveras Reservoir
The long-running dam replacement project must pause to deal with a sleeping monster.
Post on Apr 25, 2013
Gallegos Winery and the Hayward Fault
The new BART extension will bring riders to one of the best exposures of the Hayward fault.
Post on Apr 18, 2013
Side Trips from Interstate 5: Great Valley Rivers and Grasslands
It takes a million years to make a land this big and flat. Take a few hours to experience it.
Post on Apr 11, 2013
A New "Rosetta Stone" Tropical Ice Core
The climate record from the Peruvian glacier Quelccaya is as near to perfect as we can get.
Post on Apr 04, 2013
The Rocks of Devil's Slide
Lovers of geology look forward to inspecting the roadcut along old Route 1 at Devil's Slide next year.
Post on Mar 28, 2013
Scientists Celebrate a Long-Dead Whale
Why is a rotting whale on the Antarctic seafloor exciting to geologists?
Post on Mar 21, 2013
The Ant-Driven Landscape
Invasive ant species have powerful—and poorly known—effects on a region's soil.
Post on Mar 14, 2013
Still Mining Gold in the Golden State
California is not yet finished producing the gold that made it wealthy and famous.
Post on Mar 07, 2013
Side Trips from Interstate 5: Kettleman Hills
This side trip takes you into the quiet range of hills that runs along the freeway south of Coalinga.
Post on Feb 28, 2013
Infrasound Takes a Bow
Last week's events pushed the obscure subject of infrasound into the news. That was music to my science-obsessed ears.
Post on Feb 21, 2013
Romantic Spots for Bay Area Geologists (and Those Who Love Them)
Don't be surprised, be delighted if your current or future romantic partner treats you to a day straight up on the rocks.
Post on Feb 14, 2013
Geological Sounds
Geology can be heard as well as seen: here's a tour of some sounds that Earth makes.
Post on Feb 07, 2013
What Makes California's Quake Warning System So Timely?
In the age-old war between Northern and Southern California, a change in the science has changed the politics.
Post on Jan 31, 2013
Geological Outings Around the Bay: San Bruno Mountain
There is no Bay Area peak more central than San Bruno Mountain, and it's remarkably unspoiled.
Post on Jan 24, 2013
Placing a Bet on the Surface of Mars
As Curiosity gets ready to use its rock drill for the first time, we can hypothesize on what it will find.
Post on Jan 17, 2013
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
Enjoy a quiet canyon amid the noise, haste and rumpled rocks of the East Bay.
Post on Jan 10, 2013
Our Newest National Park: Pinnacles National Monument
This brand-new national park will be the closest one to the Bay Area. Let's get to know it.
Post on Jan 03, 2013
The 2012 Bay Area Geological Holiday Quiz – Answers Posted
Test your knowledge with the second annual KQED QUEST Science Blogs Bay Area Geological Holiday Quiz.
Post on Dec 27, 2012
Stardust and Sunbreath in the Sutter's Mill Meteorite
The rare meteorite that fell in the Sierra foothills this spring yielded a rich harvest of scientific data.
Post on Dec 20, 2012
