Anthony J Dzik

Not That Flat Anthony J Dzik

If you think that the Great Plains are flat and uninspiring, this book will change that percept. Geographer Anthony Dzik presents some of the most awe-inspiring sedimentary landscapes of mid-continent North America. Here are the "canyonlands" of northwest Kansas, the rain pillars of Nebraska, the chalk pillars of the Cretaceous Sea, the Swiss cheese-like lumps of Montana's Medicine Rocks, the sparkling Gloss Mountains of Oklahoma, the "Grand Canyon of Texas", the badlands where Teddy Roosevelt rode the range, Hell's Half-Acre, and many other spectacular deviations from "flatness". In terminology familiar to professional natural scientists (but easily understood by laypersons), Dzik deftly describes the geologic, climatic, and biogeographic processes that fashioned the horizontal sedimentary strata into weird and wondrous landscapes. Over 150 full-color pictures, maps, and charts are part of the package. While not really a guidebook, driving directions and suggested hikes and scenic drives are provided for most locations discussed in the book.