Field guide to the geology and tectonics of the northern Sierra Nevada : National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Far-Western Section Fall Conference--2000

236 Pages·2000·17.1 MB·English

by  National Association of Geology Teachers. Far Western Section. Fall Conference (2000)

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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
University of California, Davis Libraries
http://archive.org/details/fieldguidetogeol122nati

Special Publication 122
GUIDE TO THE GEOLOGY
FIELD
AND TECTONICS OF
THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Far-Western Section
—
Conference 2000
Fall
Editors
Elwood R. Brooks
California State University;, Hayward
and
Lena Tabilio Dida
Division ofMines and Geology
MINESANDGEOLOGY
UNIVERSITYLIBRARY
CALIFORNIA U.C DAVIS
CONSERVATION
I
NOV 6 2000
CALIF. 0EP0S.
GOV. INFO. DEPT.
Euhedral augite phenocryst (gray) replaced along its edges by actinolite (red and blue) during Jurassic
greenschist-facies metamorphism. A twin lamella runs down the middle ofthe phenocryst, through both
augite and actinolite. The phenocryst is 1.5 mm long, and was collected from a Devonian basalt sill in the
Lakes Basin, Plumas County. Photomicrograph byE.R. Brooks.
Cordell Durrell
1908-1986
This memorial to Cordell Durrell is an abridged standouts. One was an undergraduate course in
version of one written by Eldridge Moores for the hand specimen petrology, in which he spent hours
Geological Society of America. Permission to re- on a one-to-one basis with each student. Many
produce it was kindly granted by Faith Rogers, students remember facing their conferences with
Managing Editor, Geological Society ofAmerica. Durrell with a great deal of apprehension; after-
ward they recalled the experience as one of the
Born in 1908 in San Francisco, Cordell Durrell most memorable of their college careers. Durrell's
received his A.B. and Ph.D. other famous course was a
degrees in geology from the graduate seminar in the geolo-
University of California, Ber-
gy of California. This course
keley, in 1931 and 1936. He involved thoroughly analyzing,
was an instructor in geology at and usually demolishing,
U.C. Berkeley in 1936-37. In selected primary references
1938, he became an instruc- on field geology of California.
tor in geology at the University For most students, this sort of
of California, Los Angeles, critical analysis of an individual
beginning an association that author's arguments was a real
lasted for 25 years. In 1943 eye-opener. A measure of
he received a two-year leave of his memorable qualities as a
absence from UCLA, during teacher was demonstrated in
which he worked with the 1974 when Durrell became
U.S. Geological Survey help- one of the very few professors
ing to assess U.S. resources in in the history of the Universi-
barite and optical-quality cal- ty of California ever to receive
cite. He returned to UCLA in a promotion to over-scale
1945 as assistant professor, professor based upon his life-
receiving promotions to asso- long effectiveness as a teach-
ciate professor in 1946 and er, rather than his research.
professor in 1951.
Durrell began work on the Blairsden Quadrangle
In 1963, Durrell went to the University of Cali- in the northeastern Sierra Nevada in 1938, a
fornia, Davis, as professor and chairman of the
study that continued throughout his career. During
Geology Department to oversee the growth of the the course of this work, he became the principal
then-small department into a first-rank research authority on the Cenozoic geology of the northern
and teaching group. During his chairmanship Sierra Nevada and surrounding regions. He wrote
(1963-67), he laid the foundation for departmental Geologic History of the Feather River Country,
expansion and planned a new building, occupied California, documenting his lifelong Sierran work.
in 1971. The University of California Press published the
Durrell was principally known as an outstanding book in 1987. Cord was a tireless and indefatiga-
and dedicated educator and an expert in Sierra ble field geologist. Even after his first heart attack
Nevada geology. As an educator he inspired hun- in 1966, he would set a pace on a field traverse
dreds of graduate and undergraduate students at that left much younger geologists panting in his
both UCLA and UC Davis, many of whom went dust. He remained an active and influential mem-
ber of the Geology Department at UC Davis even
on to distinguished geological careers in industry,
government and academia. Two courses were after his retirement in 1976.
in
Cover Photo: Stream runoffor surface springs form water-
falls in several locations visible from Highway 49 near
Downieville. Photo byMax Flanery, DMG.