CompuServe Messages

Shannon I'm also new to this forum. I'm starting my second career but only after working as a hydrologist for ten years. My first degree was in geology and its still my love (sniff..hard swallow). McPhee, happens to be one of my favoite nonfiction authors because he writes about two favorite subjects: geology and things Scottish. For me, reading anything of his is like taking a vacation: you see some interesting sights (and sites) and meet some interesting people. He does a wonderful job of explaining geology, but I really enjoy most his depictions of geologists: he sees them as masters of "scale" — recounting births of mountains using time as a device instead of as a given, then pointing at tiny fossils as proof — not realizing how preposterous it might seem to those uninitiated. Geology is a "big" story and sometimes I sense McPhee sees geology as a form of ancient storytelling (descriptive, narrative science), a way of seeing the world that is somehow Scotish in origin and nature. In many ways geology, as a modern science, is an invention made in Edinburgh (Hutton, Playfair, Lyell, Geike, etc.) Florida geology, as many have said, is subtle. IMHO, the state's springs and mammalian fossils are the exceptions to this rule. Last time I checked (1977) cave formation was still not well understood, though that may apply more to non-karst formations, e.g., sandstone caves. Do yourself a favor, if you have'nt done so already, and write to the Florida Bureau of Geology to get their "List of Publications." This can serve as an ordering guide/index of their reports, maps, etc. The address: Publications Office, 903 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304. At a minimum, you'll want Bulletin 31, "Springs of Florida." One aspect of cave formation is sea level change, which is my favorite topic. You may not have noticed (from driving around, or looking at a topo map) but Florida is a series of terraces, each landing marking a period of time when sea level was higher than today. There are also terraces offshore, mainly along the Gulf coast; perhaps you've seen some of the drop-offs if you've dived offshore (I don't dive, but friends of mine who do — or did — say these escarpments are well known … and fished.) A little imagination reveals the relationship between sea level changes and cave formation: groundwater level changes, climate/rainfall pattern changes, etc. Incidentally, my favorite McPhee story is in the collection "Giving Good Weight." The story about the chef and his passion for cooking is wonderful. Grab a towel before embarking. You'll perspire as heavily as he as his massive body hurriedly waltzes about the kitchen for ceaseless hours. Phil