Rise and Fall of San Diego: 150 Million Years of History Recorded in Sedimentary Rocks - Softcover

Pat Abbott was born in San Diego and grew up in the Kensington community. At Hoover High School his favorite subjects were ancient history and Latin. In college his passion for history was deepened by millions of years when he discovered geology. It was the perfect major-combining the creativity of the liberal arts with the potential for proof of the sciences. Abbott received his Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in sedimentary rocks. Over 60 articles in various publications and more than 20 published books earned him a deserved reputation as a prolific author and a recognized authority on the geology of San Diego County. Rise and Fall of San Diego is the result of 25 years of original research and esoteric publications in scientific journals. Abbott decided that the time had come for him to share his knowledge about sedimentary rocks in simpler language with interested non-geologists. Abbott's major current research projects focus on the massive, long run-out rock flows of Split Mountain in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; the origin and distribution of Sonoran volcanics along the southern California coast; and identification and mitigation of major natural hazards in the heavily populated San Diego coastal regions. Abbott has been a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at San Diego State University since 1977. He is a popular lecturer and a field-trip guide who is frequently called upon by the media to interpret local geological phenomena. Abbott has hosted several radio talk shows and is often seen on local TV news programs, some of which he has helped organize. The Natural Disasters course he initiated at SDSU attracts over 3000 students per year. His leadership in several natural history and geology societies has included San Diego Natural History Museum-Vice Chair (1987-1990); the Society for Sedimentary Geology, Pacific Section-President (1988-1991); the Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section-Vice Chairman and Chairman (1990-1992). Abbott has always been active in sports: basketball, volleyball, and boxing are his favorites. The author's love of outdoor activity, learning, and traveling is well expressed in his devotion to his profession.

Pat Abbott has distilled his many years of geological fieldwork into a book that offers the reader the opportunity to experience firsthand the unique geologic history of our region. Dr. Abbott has selected the best mini-field trips to illustrate the key aspect of that history -- Tom Demere, Curator of Paleontology, San Diego Museum of Natural History...This well-paced narrative on San Diego's geologic development entices the reader to go and see - an important contribution to the natural history literature of the region.-- Shannon O'Dunn, Professor of Geology, Department of Earth Sciences, Grossmont College Pat Abbott understands first-hand that the most effective way for people to understand geologic principles is to go out into the field and to read the story that the rocks tell. Pat Abbott's book, The Rise and Fall of San Diego: 150 Years of Recorded History in Sedimentary Rocks, fills an important niche. It provides a bridge between general geology textbooks, scientific journal articles, and professional geologic field guides that is accessible to non-geologists and up-to-date. Abbott is the perfect person to fill this niche. Not only has he conducted extensive research on San Diego geologic history and edited countless professional field trip guides, but, most importantly, he's spent many years teaching students how to interpret the geologic history that the rocks tell. Abbott's approach is to guide the reader through time and to illustrate the major periods in the geologic history of San Diego with a field trip. Clear illustrations, maps and photographs, make the field trips easy to follow and the concepts come alive. So lace up your hiking boots, put on your sunscreen and read the rocks! Sarah Gray, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geology of Marine and Environmental Studies Program, University of San Diego. -- Sarah Gray,PhD associate Professor of Geology of Marine and Environmental Studies Program, University of San Diego. This is a marvelous geological description of the San Diego area written by the acknowledged savant of the region. It is written for the enthusiastic amateur and is a wonderful guide to the pathways and byways of San Diego. The professional geologist will also find the work useful, both as a guide and teaching instrument. --William A. Nierenberg, Director Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA