Geology Resources – California

• California State Minerals Information (USGS)
• California Geological Survey, Department of Conservation.
  • Mineral Resources
    • California Geological Survey Publications
  • California – Geotour – Online Geological Field Trips, compiled by California Geological Survey.
  • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production   (California Geological Survey’s Mineral Resources.)
  • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production – California Geological Survey
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2000
      
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2001
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2002
      
    • California’s “Nonfuel Mineral Exploration 2003,” David R. Wilburn, U.S. Geological Survey, (Originally published in Mining Engineering, v. 56, no. 5, May 2004, p. 25-37.) (Available in Rich Text – RTF format)
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2004
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2005
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2006
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2007
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2008
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2009
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2010
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2011
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2012
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2013
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2014
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2015
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2016
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2017
    • California’s Non-Fuel Mineral Production 2018
  • California Geological Survey Maps & Publications  (scroll down)
  • California Geological Survey Publications  
  • California Mines and Mineral Resources – Department of Conservation Maps.
  • Fabulous Facts About Mineral Resources, from November/December 1999 issue.  (This document is available on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)

• “Aggregate mining on Mount Zion, Clayton, California,” chapter by Joshua A. Goodwin, in “Regional Geology of Mount Diablo, California,” Geological Society of America, 2021.  (Abstract excerpt)  “Two construction aggregate companies, Cemex and Hanson Aggregates, operate respective crushed stone quarries on the east and west slopes of Mount Zion in Clayton, California.  These sidehill quarries utilize a single highwall and mine Jurassic diabase of the Coast Range ophiolite that formed as a sheeted dike complex….”
• Alabama Hills: Movie Locations, Arches & Photography, on California Through My Lens.
• Cal State Los Angeles – Digital Collections.
• California Geology, on About: Geology.
• California – Geotour – Online Geological Field Trips, compiled by California Geological Survey.
• California Rockhounding Location Guide & Map
• California State GeoPortal
• California State Mining and Mineral Museum – California State Parks.
• Crowley Lake, California – natural Pillars – “The Geologic Oddity in California; Crowley Lake’s Stone Pillars,” YouTube video (4.34 min.), by GeologyHub, September 12, 2026.  (excerpt from video description)  “On the shoreline of Crowley Lake in California, there are thousands of unusual pillars that jet out as much as 20 feet above the surrounding landscape.  These pillars look like they were created by humans, but are instead completely natural in origin.  They formed due to a fascinating geologic process which this video will describe through the analysis of a geologist.”
• California State University, Long Beach, Department of Geological Sciences
• California’s Geology & Plate Tectonics – California Geography, with Professor Jeremy Patrich (YouTube video), January 6, 2021.
• California’s Mineral Hazards, California Department of Conservation.
• Deeper Oakland, by Andrew Alden.
• El Dorado Mineral and Gem Society, Placerville, California
• Ferndale, Humboldt County, California – Main Street – Field Trips by Ellin Beltz.
• “A Field Trip Transect of the Northern Sierra Via Interstate 80,” by Richard P. Hilton, Department of Geosciences, Sierra College, Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum, Spring 2009, vol. 2, no. 1.  (The original link is no longer available, although the site can be viewed on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
• Fractures in Granite – “Mechanics of curved surfaces, with application to surface-parallel cracks” (pdf), by Stephen J. Martel, Department of Geology and Geosphysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, L20303, doi:10.1029/2011GL049354, October 20, 2011, 6 pp.  (Photos include:  “Figure 1. Sheeting joints near the summit of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park. They bound shingle-like slabs that are on the order of 1 m thick. Photograph courtesy of Greg Stock.”  “Figure 4. Locations of topographic features, predictions of sheeting joints, and occurrences of sheeting joints near Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park…(c) Photograph looking east across the southern portion of the study area.  Sheeting joints decorate virtually every exposure in this picture….(d) Photograph looking southeast at the slope 0.7 km north of Olmsted Point. Sheeting joints are abundant in the saddle-shaped upper part of the picture but scarce in the bowl-shaped lower portion.” (This article is presented on Stone Quarries and Beyond with the permission of the author.)
• Geologic Map of California, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.
• “Geologic map of Jensen’s Quarry: Supplement 2” from “The geology of the Jurupa Mountains, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California” (Thesis), by Edward M. MacKevett, Caltech Data, by Caltech Library, 1950.
• Geologic Map of the San Francisco Bay Region, Scientific Investigations Map 2918, by R. W. Graymer, B. C. Moring, G.J. Saucedo, C. M. Wentworth, E. E. Brabb, and K. L. Knudsen, U. S. Geological Survey publication.
• “Geology and geological history of California” section of Wikipedia.
• “Geology and paleontology of the late Miocene Wilson Grove Formation at Bloomfield Quarry, Sonoma County, California,” April 30, 2019, U. S. Geological Survey.
• Geology in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Shallow Sky.
• Geology Links, California State University, Stanislaus.
• Geology of California – YouTube Videos List
• “Geology of Hardrock Quarries in Sonoma County” (California), by Rolfe Erickson, Sonoma State University, 1979.  “This report contains the detailed geology of all known active Sonoma County rock quarries. In addition to the geology, information on reserves, material uses, history, and owne’s future plans is included where available. ScolarWorks, California State University.”
• “The Geology of the Building Stones at Ft. Jones Museum, California,” YouTube video (3.05 min.), by GeologyDude, November 12, 2022.  (excerpt from video description)  “This brief video is about the unusual building stones that create the exterior walls of the Ft. Jones Museum, Ft. Jones, California. The Ft. Jones Museum, is architecturally unique by its construction materials. It is indeed shocking to see it for the first time. The construction philosophy seemed to favor using as much variety of different rock types for building stones as possible. This is different than standard stone construction. The reason for this choice was to feature the various rock and mineral resources in the Siskiyou County area (and Northern California). Some of the stones in the wall are obviously imported, such as the grist stones from France, and the grinding stone from Ohio. However, these were used locally. However, I believe that some other stones in the museum walls originate from far outside the county too.”  [Also see images and articles about the building stones used to build Ft. Jones Museum, California, on Google Images.]
• “Geology of the Clear Lake Volcanic Field,” reported by Dan Day, Photography by Keil Albert, Mark Detterman, Phil Garbutt, Northern California Geological Society.
• Geology of the Humboldt Bay Area – Field Trips by Ellin Beltz.
• Geology Museum, University of California, Department of Geological and Geophysics, Berkeley, CA 94720; (510) 642-4330, 642-3993.
• Guide to the Geology of Mount Diablo State Park, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association.
• Interactive map of the geology of California, American Geosciences Institute.
• Limestone in California, by C. A. Logan, California Journal Mines and Geology, Vol. 43, 1947, pp. 177-357.   [Subjects include:  “Origin of Limestone” (pp. 177); “Uses of Lime and Limestone” (pp. 179);  “Description of Limestone Deposits by Counties” (pp. 201);  “Bibliography” (pp 351);  & “Illustrations.”]
• “Lithic Quarrying,” Baja California and Southern California, San Diego Archeological Center.  (excerpt)  “Lithic raw materials were initially acquired prehistorically at locations that have been designated as quarries.  Because of the high visibility of lithic artifacts within the archaeological record, an important part of interpreting that record is to understand the manner of acquisition, the social context, and the specific objectives involved in lithic material collection….”
• The Marble Mountains – Geology (located in the Mojave Desert, in southeastern California near the tiny towns of Chambless and Cadiz.), presented by Ben Waggoner.
• “Mechanics of curved surfaces, with application to surface-parallel cracks,” by Stephen J. Martel, Department of Geology and Geosphysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, L20303, doi:10.1029/2011GL049354, October 20, 2011, 6 pp.  (Photos include:  “Figure 1. Sheeting joints near the summit of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park. They bound shingle-like slabs that are on the order of 1 m thick. Photograph courtesy of Greg Stock.”  “Figure 4. Locations of topographic features, predictions of sheeting joints, and occurrences of sheeting joints near Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park…(c) Photograph looking east across the southern portion of the study area.  Sheeting joints decorate virtually every exposure in this picture….(d) Photograph looking southeast at the slope 0.7 km north of Olmsted Point. Sheeting joints are abundant in the saddle-shaped upper part of the picture but scarce in the bowl-shaped lower portion.”  (This article is presented on Stone Quarries and Beyond with the permission of the author.)
• Mineral and Fossil Museums, Exhibits, & Displays in the United States – California, on mindat.org.
• Mines and Mineral Resources – California Department of Conservation Maps.
• The Mountains of California, by John Muir, The Century Co., New York, 1894.
• Northern California Geological Society Geology Links
• Oakland Geology Blog, Focused on, near and under Oakland, California, since 2007, by Andrew Alden.
  • Archive for the ‘Quarries and mines’ Category on the Oakland Geology Blog, by Andrew Alden.
• Pacifica, San Mateo County, California, Geology & Pacifica Calera limestone quarry:  “Hidden Geology of Pacifica, California – Exploring the San Francisco Quarry,” YouTube video (16.26 min.), by Earth and Time, March 9, 2026.  (excerpts from video description)  “Pacifica, California sits along one of the most geologically fascinating coastlines in the United States.  Just south of San Francisco, the San Francisco Quarry in Pacifica exposes incredible rock layers that reveal the powerful forces shaping California’s coastline.  In this geology field tour, we explore the rocks, sediments, and tectonic history visible in the quarry and surrounding coastal cliffs.  These formations tell the story of ancient ocean basins, tectonic plate movement, and the dramatic landscape created by the nearby San Andreas Fault system.  If you enjoy geology, earth science, coastal landscapes, and field exploration, Pacifica is an incredible outdoor classroom where millions of years of Earth’s history are exposed in the rocks.  In this video you’ll learn:  The geologic history of Pacifica, California, How the rocks in the San Francisco Quarry formed, Why this part of the California coast is so geologically unique, How tectonic forces shaped the landscape near San Francisco.”
• Rocks and Geology in the San Francisco Bay Region, Bulletin 2195, by Philip W. Stoffer, U S. Geological Survey publication.
• Rock and Mineral Clubs in California
• “Rocks in Rocklin” – Rocklin Geology, by Dick Hilton, Geology Instructor, Sierra College.   (This web site is now available on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
  • “A Field Trip Transect of the Northern Sierra Via Interstate 80,” by Richard P. Hilton, Department of Geosciences, Sierra College, Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum, Spring 2009, vol. 2, no. 1.  (The original link is no longer available, although the site can be viewed on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)

  “A Naturalist’s Transect along the I-80 Corridor in California: Rocklin to Donner Pass,” by J. L. Medeiros, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences, Sierra College, Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum, Spring 2009, vol. 2, no. 1.  (The original link is no longer available, although the site can be viewed on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)

• San Francisco:  “Geologist Explains San Francisco’s Rocks & Natural Resources (California, USA),” YouTube video (16.49 min.), by Solomon’s Outdoor Adventres, May 9, 2025.  (excerpts from video description)  “In this episode of Solomon’s Outdoor Adventures, Solomon delves into the geological history of San Francisco’s rocks and natural resources.  This is episode 1 of Geology of San Francisco & The Bay Area- a 2 part miniseries focusing on the fascinating geology of the region. Episode 2 will be on the earthquakes and fault lines of the region, so be sure to stay tuned for that!!!”
• San Francisco rocks!  The fascinating history behind Bay Area geology, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, by Jonathan Howell, San Francisco Park Stewardship Intern.
• “Southern California Geology | Gabbro & Pegmatitic Dikes,” YouTube video (28.48 min.), by Geologically Speaking, Dec. 22, 2023, (video description)  “Exploring the Green Acres Gabbro Complex NE of Winchester, California. Located various textures of gabbro, hornblende-gabbro dikes and pegmatitic dikes! The pegmatitic dikes had plagioclase feldspar, quartz, black tourmaline (schorl), spessartine garnet & muscovite!.”
• “Streetcar 2 Subduction” – Scientists create Google Earth geology tour of the Bay Area, by Liz Kreutz, December 9, 2019, ABC 7 News.
• The University of California Museum of Paleontology Exhibit Halls – the Geology Wing (Berkeley, California)
• University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) – Earth & Planetary Sciences
• U. S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet on California

Stone Carvers, Stone Cutters, Sculptors, etc., in California

• Stephen Bouska, principal of Old World Stone Design, in Rio Linda, California.  “Custom Architectural Handcrafted Stone Carving, Sculpture, and monuments – Stone, Metal, and Cast Material.” − “Master Of Stone:  Mason and sculptor leaves a lasting legacy,” article by Jessica Laskey, April 2023, Inside Sacramento – Images and articles about Stephen Bouska, principal of Old World Stone Design, on Google Images.
• Michele Chapin, Ventura, California:  About Michele Chapin − Michele Chapin:  Museum of Ventura County −  Images and articles about Michele Chapin, Sculptor in Ventura, California, on Google Images.
• Historical California Cemetery Stone & Monument Carvers & Dealers
• Arrigo Fantozzi, Marble and Granite Works, Jackson, Amador County, California, presented on the Amador Gold.net web site. This site includes history and photographs of the marble works building and tools of the trade as the marble works was when it closed. (Arrigo Fantozzi died June 2, 1972.)  Note:  Here is the Google AI summary about Arrigo Fantozzi’s Marble and Granite Works in Jackson, Amador County, California.  Today (4/20/26) the Google link to the web site is not working.)  Peggy B. Perazzo, Stone Quarries and Beyond Continues. 
• John Fisher Sculptor, in California – “John Fisher: Carving lines,” 27 November 2024 (video), John Fisher on Materially Speaking, Episode 60 – Images and articles about John Fisher, Sculptor, in California, on Google Images.
• Gary D. Grossman, Sculptor, G. Grossman’s Fine Art – Visit Gary Grossman’s web site to view photographs of California soapstone, Colorado alabaster, Kansas Tuxedo limestone, Kansas Cottonwood limestone, Virginia steatite, Wisconsin sandstone, Nova Scotia blue anhydrite, and Brazilian soapstone. . – Images and articles about Gary D. Grossman, Sculptor, in California on Google Images.
  • Gary D. Grossman’s Sculpture Portfolio on Facebook
• Nathan Hunt, Hunt Studios – “Rock Solid: Nathan Hunt,” Katie D.I.D Blog, March 20, 2013 – Images and articles about Nathan Hunt, Hunt Studios, on Google Images.
• Edmonia Lewis, Sculptor, California, Historical and Institutional Context:  Edmonia Lewis: In 1873, the San Jose Public Library held an exhibit of her marble works, which were purchased by local California supporters.
• Steve Lewis, Sculptor in Marin County, California:   “It’s all fun – ‘Chink, chink, chink, chink….,’” article by Terry Donohue, Point Reyes Light, November 20, 2008, pp. 5.
• Oleg Lobykin, Sculptor, East Palo Alto, California:  Stonesculpt:  Custom Stone Carving – “About the Artist” / Oleg Lobykin– “Main Quadrangle: Restoring Structural and Aesthetic Integrity of Sandstone Masonry) & Oleg Lobykin), YouTube video (48.39 min.), by Stanford Historical Society, August 21, 2023.  (video description)  “This session will highlight the original quarrymen of the local Greystone Quarry in the Almaden hills and the McGilvray masons who carved the quintessential buff sandstone to create the Richardsonian-Romanesque quadrangle at Stanford.  The presentation will also feature current local masonry specialists who have studied the sandstone deterioration processes and provided restoration techniques that help preserve the original stone.  Oleg Lobykin, Masonry restoration expert and sculptor, Stonesculpt.” – Oleg Lobykin on Facebook.  Carving Corinthian capital in Indiana Limestone, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, around 1991 – at Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC.  –  *  Images and articles about Oleg Lobykin, Sculptor, Stonesculpt, East Palo Alto, California, on Google Images.
  • Stonesculpt:  Custom Stone Carving
  • Oleg Lobykin’s Biography
• Steven Lustig, Sculptor in southern California:  Steven Lustig Fine Art – “Why Sculpture Gardens?” August 12, 2022, blog article by Steven Lustig.  −  Images and articles about Steven Lustig, Sculptor, in southern California, on Google Images.
• Nevine Mahmoud, Sculptor, in Los Angeles, California:  “Work in Progress:  Nevine Mahmoud.  The sculptor chisels vulnerability and violence from Carrara marble for presentation at Frieze Los Angeles,” article by Nevine Mahmoud and Livia Russell in Frieze Los Angeles, Interviews, 23 January 1926. − Johnson Exhibitions     News Artists Gallery Search Nevine Mahmoud, Nina Johnson − Images and articles about Nevine Mahmoud, Sculptor, Los Angeles, California, on Google Images.
• Diana Moore, Sculptor, California:  Diana Moore – Biography – Images and articles about Diana Moore, Sculptor in California on Google Images.
• Gwynn Murrill, Sculptor, California:  “About Gwynn Murrill − From the Artist” − Images and articles about Gwynn Murrill, Sculptor in California on Google Images.
• Alejandra Palos, Stone Carver Chica, San Francisco, California:  Artist Statement − Images and articles about Alejandra Palos, Stone Carver Chica, San Francisco, California, on Google Images.
• Gertrud Parker, Sculptor, California (1924–2021):  “Tiburon’s Gertrud Parker founded Museum of Craft & Folk Art,” − Gertrud Parker − Obituary, “Marin Independent Journal,” January 20-24th, 2021 − Images and articles about Gertrud Parker, Sculptor, in California on Google Images.
• Lisa Reinertson Sculptor, California:  Lisa Reinertson Bio / Career Highlights – “Lisa Reinertson” section of Wikipedia – Images and articles about Lisa Reinertson, Sculptor in California on Google Images.
• Jane Rosen, Sculptor, California:  “Jane Rosen” (1950-2025) section of Wikipedia − “Jane Rosen” − “In Memory:  Jane Rosen 1950 -2025” − Images and articles about Jane Rosen, Sculptor in California on Google Images.
• Karen Ryer, Sculptor, Stone Sculptors Supplies and Withywindle Gallery in Guerneville, California:  Karen Ryer – Artist Spotlight – Facebook page for the late Karen Ryer − Images and articles about Karen Ryer, Sculptor in Guerneville, California, on Google Images.
• Alison Saar, Sculptor, California:  “Alison Saar,” National Museum of Women In The Arts – “Alison Saar” section of Wikipedia  – Images and articles about Alison Saar, Sculptor in California on Google Images.
• Elizabeth Turk, Sculptor, California:  Elizabeth Turk “Statement” − “The Marvelous Marble of Elizabeth Turk,” article by Evan Senn, October 15, 2014, PBS SoCal − Images and articles about Elizabeth Turk, Sculptor, in California on Google Images.