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:
Help Find the Healdsburg Tektites
Half meteorite, half Earth rock, these geological oddities may be part of a new strewnfield in the northern Bay Area.
Post on Dec 13, 2012
Side Trips from Interstate 5: The Eastern Klamaths
See America's largest area of rock from the Earth's mantle, west of Mount Shasta.
Post on Dec 06, 2012
The Mighty Monterey Formation: In Your Future
More valuable than gold, this great rock unit forms part of the Bay Area's landscape.
Post on Nov 29, 2012
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Los Trancos Open Space
Lidar mapping unveils one of the Bay Area's best places to visit the San Andreas fault.
Post on Nov 15, 2012
Earthquake Landslides: A Widespread Hazard
Earthquakes will always produce landslides, but new knowledge will help us deal with them better.
Post on Nov 08, 2012
Watching the Atmospheric Rivers Flow
Researchers are gearing up to monitor the flood-causing weather monsters known as atmospheric rivers.
Post on Nov 01, 2012
More Clues About Singing Sand
New research shows that sand can sing by itself, but if so, then why are singing sand dunes so rare?
Post on Oct 25, 2012
A New Radiocarbon Yardstick from Japan
A long core of sediment from a Japanese lake is a Rosetta Stone for ice-age climate research.
Post on Oct 18, 2012
Fracking in Urban Oilfields: A New Study Sparks More Debate
A rigorous study shows that fracking is unharmful when the stakes are high. Not much should be made of it.
Post on Oct 11, 2012
Earth Science Week 2012: Careers in the Field
More than the good salaries and jobs, it's the coolness that attracts young people to geoscience.
Post on Oct 04, 2012
Things You May Not Know About California Tsunamis
Scientific agencies have helped the state improve its knowledge of tsunamis and its responses to them. They can teach you and help you respond, too.
Post on Sep 27, 2012
Side Trips from Interstate 5: San Emigdio Mountains
Journeying through the Great Valley's southern rampart is time better spent than inching up the Grapevine.
Post on Sep 20, 2012
Japanese Tsunami Debris Reaches the West Coast
The data Californians start collecting this weekend will begin a new scientific project to trace the world's ocean currents.
Post on Sep 13, 2012
Geological Side Trips from Interstate 80: Griffith Quarry in Penryn
Sometimes you need a break when you're taking Interstate 80 to or from the Sierra. Try this historic quarry in the foothills.
Post on Sep 06, 2012
Outdoor Labs: The UC Natural Reserve System
The University of California runs a unique set of 38 pristine properties around the state for scientific research.
Post on Aug 30, 2012
Geoscientists Without Borders
The chance to do good with their tools draws geoscientists to humanitarian projects around the world.
Post on Aug 23, 2012
Stanford's Signature Sandstone
Many prestigious schools feature stone buildings, but the golden sandstone of Stanford's historic core is one of a kind.
Post on Aug 16, 2012
What Is That Unusual Smell In Walnut Creek?
The city's hospital sits at the site of an ancient sulfur spring.
Post on Aug 09, 2012
We Are the Desert: Tackling California's Water and Electricity Woes
As we approach the limits of our power and water, we will face some wrenching decisions with geological dimensions.
Post on Aug 02, 2012
What Shall We Do About Earthquake Weather?
If we can't shake this discredited notion, let's speak it instead with a smile.
Post on Jul 26, 2012
