[Return to the Natural History of Mt. Diablo]
[Return to the Natural History of
Mt. Diablo]
Photograph by Roi Peers
Erosion "wind caves" are common features in the "Domengine" sandstone near Rock City.
| Geology: Our understanding of the geological history of the rocks and structure of Mt. Diablo has undergone major changes during the past 30 years, and even now geologists are still trying to unravel the complicated history of the mountain. This complex history is not unique to the mountain, but to our region as a whole, since Mt. Diablo has been caught up in the processes that have shaped the Coast Ranges over the last several million years. | Paleontology: Mount Diablo State Park contains geological formations rich in fossil resources. Marine mollusks of Miocene age are abundant along the southern flank of the mountain. Fossil plant material is also common in this area. Along the southern boundary, 9 million year old river deposits have yielded a large number of vertebrate fossil fragments including sabre-tooth cats, mastodons, horses, camels, and llamas. |
"It is clear that geology is not a static field - our interpretations of the
landscape are continually changing
as we learn more when we look at the landscape with new ideas."
- - Doris Sloan, UC Berkeley
FEATURED ARTICLES
| GUIDE TO THE GEOLOGY OF MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK |
| GEOLOGY ROAD LOG FOR MOUNT DIABLO |
| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GEOLOGY OF MT. DIABLO |
| GUIDE TO THE TRAIL THROUGH TIME - A Journey through 160 million years of geologic time. |
| GEOLOGIC MAP OF MOUNT DIABLO |
ARCHIVAL ARTICLES
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Overview of the Geology of Mt. Diablo State Park - Creating a Mountain by John Werminski (1993) |
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Mt. Diablo "Trail Through Time" Project |
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Mt. Diablo's Mining - A short summary |
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Collection of Articles on Mount Diablo Mining - early writings on mining activities during the late 1800's compiled by Chris Valle-Riestra. |
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Clayton Diabase Quarry (Reprint from Mount Diablo Review - Spring 2004) |
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Quicksilver Deposits of the Mt. Diablo District - USGS Bulletin 922-B |
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Rugged Plants Struggle to Survive on Barren Serpentine Soil - from NCGS Newsletter |
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Fossil Quarry Reveals Bygone Secrets - Article from the Contra Costa Times by John Boudreau |
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Pliocene Park - what our area was like several million years ago - Reprinted from Mount Diablo Review |
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LINKS |
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A Suggested Reading List on the Geology of Mt. Diablo |
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Geoscience Links |
| Also see: Publications On-line for additional articles. | |
| We would like to hear from you on suggestions and comments for the presentation of the geology of Mt. Diablo. Please contact Roi Peers. |
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MOUNT DIABLO INTERPRETIVE
ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 346 - Walnut Creek, CA 94597-0346
(925) 927-7222 / FAX: (877) 349-5016