PEDD 9603 - The Geology and Natural History of California's Centeral Coast

Course Description

This class will explore the geology and natural history of California?s Central Coast. The field study will take us as far north as Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park on the Big Sur Coast and south to Morro Rock. We will discuss the geologic history of the rugged Big Sur Coast, the origin of Morro Rock, and the formation of Coast Ranges. Discussions will also include the components of the Coast Redwood forest ecosystem and the role of fire and introduced species. California's cross section is a textbook example of an oceanic ?continental subduction zone. We will see ophiolite sequences that represent the scraping off of the Farallon Plate as it subducted beneath the North American Plate during the formation of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We will also see some to the most beautiful and rugged coastline in the world.

The 3 Professional Development Unit option is section 014 ($300).

The Non-credit section option is 013 ($50).