Re-Release Of Popular Local Geology Book
Honors Centennial Anniversary Of University Of Cincinnati's Geology Department
COLUMBUS, OH - What does geology mean to the average Cincinnati area resident? The best answer might come from University of Cincinnati (UC) Geology Professor Emeritus Paul E. Potter's second edition of "Exploring the Geology of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Region."
With help from their supporters, including the Ohio Geological Survey, the Kentucky Geological Survey recently released the new edition just in time for the UC department's centennial celebration.
The book is dedicated to Professor Nevin M. Fenneman who founded the UC Geology and Geography Department in 1907. Among other accomplishments, Fenneman wrote "The Geology of Cincinnati and Vicinity," which was published by the Ohio Geological Survey more than 90 years ago. While 90 years might not bring many noticeable geologic changes to the Cincinnati region, it has provided Potter and other geologists the technology and opportunity to learn more about the area's geology, including a previously hidden sedimentary basin underlying much of the region.
The Cincinnati region is a good place to study geology because its various rock outcroppings provide visible rock layers and abundant fossils. Potter's 128-page report-style paperback is popular with amateur and professional geologists, historians, teachers, and planners because it carefully balances technical information about the area with many illustrations, sidebars, and interesting photographs. One such photograph depicts a 19,600-year-old spruce log buried in glacial till in Hamilton County.
Potter says about half of the 87 illustrations in the book have been updated for the new version, and the text reflects new information about subsurface geology and how it affects people living at the surface. Sections of the book are dedicated to today's geological issues, such as land movements, how geology affects groundwater levels, and use of geographic information systems (GIS). However, the immediate and local relevance of geology is present throughout the history sections of the book as well.
Potter's publication is unique in that it focuses on a primarily urban area. It is timely because it reflects the significant population growth of the Cincinnati area in recent years. When the book was first released in 1996, the area's population was 1.7 million. Today it is 2 million.
"Exploring the Geology of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Region" is available for $10 (plus shipping) from the Ohio Geological Survey. Call 614-265-6576 to order.
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For Further Information, Contact:
Mac Swinford, ODNR Division of Geological Survey
(614) 265-6473
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860