MSA’s February 20, 2025 program will be presented by Dr. Stephen J. Reynolds and Julia K. Johnson, "Developing a New Roadside Geology of Arizona Book.” The Roadside Geology book series, developed by Mountain Press Publishing, has been a valuable source of geologic information for observing geology along highways of a state. The books are designed for the general public, but are also widely used by geologists, rockhounds, and others. We were asked by Mountain Press to write an entirely new version of Roadside Geology of Arizona and have spent the past several years completing the book, which was jointly published by Mountain Press and the Geological Society of America. Both authors have conducted research on how our brains work and how people learn, and we incorporated those lessons into designing a roadside book unlike others in the series. For example, research shows that we learn better if text is accompanied by figures and if figures and text are tightly integrated, so our new book aimed to include a photograph of every key aspect being described in the text. We also developed the book with a regional approach so that the geology along each highway could be viewed in a regional context, where each region features a large facing-pages geologic map and one or two stratigraphic sections specific to that region. The main geologic features are described for each road in that region, with the location of most photographs being identified by milepost. We covered all the main roads in the state, driving and photographing each one, many more than once. Important geometries of rock units are conveyed with several geologic cross sections per region. The authors laid out the entire book with a desktop publishing program to ensure tight articulation between figures and text. The result is a visually rich introduction to our geologically spectacular state.  

This talk is timely as publication is to be released February 15th on Amazon and Mountain Press Publishing is selling now, please bring your own copies of 2nd edition books to MSA meeting for the authors to autograph.  

Dr. Stephen J. Reynolds received an undergraduate geology degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, and MS and PhD degrees in structure/tectonics and regional geology from the University of Arizona. He then spent ten years directing the geologic framework and mapping program of the Arizona Geological Survey, where he completed the 1988 Geologic Map of Arizona. Since 1991, Steve has been a Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where he was recognized as a President’s Professor, ASU's highest honor for teaching and scholarship of learning. He retired in 2023 and is currently President's Professor-Emeritus. He has authored or edited over 200 geologic maps, articles, and reports, including the 866-page Geologic Evolution of Arizona. He coauthored a widely used structural geology textbook, and he and Julia Johnson authored three introductory college textbooks for McGraw-Hill Education, including the award-winning Exploring Geology. Although he retired from teaching, he remains active doing geologic mapping and other research in Arizona. His geologic research focuses on structure, tectonics, late Paleozoic through Jurassic stratigraphy, and mineral deposits of the Southwest.

Julia K. Johnson is Associate Teaching Professor, Emeritus in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where she taught Introduction to Geology to more than 2,000 students per year in online and in-person classes. Her research involves structural geology, regional geology, stratigraphy of the Mogollon Escarpment, groundwater studies of copper deposits, and geoscience education. Her geologic map of the Phoenix Mountains is among the most viewed and downloaded publication at the Arizona Geological Survey. The main focus of her geoscience education research was on student- and instructor-generated sketches (concept sketches) for learning, teaching, and assessment in college geology classes. Julia was recognized as one of the best science teachers at ASU and received many teaching awards. She has authored publications on geology and science-education research. She coauthored three textbooks for McGraw-Hill Education, including Exploring Earth Science and Exploring Physical Geography, and also authored three laboratory manuals for physical geology for use in online and in-person courses. She has developed immersive field trips for sites near ASU and elsewhere in Arizona, including Oak Creek Canyon.

Mark the date on your calendars!

Mineralogical Society of Arizona is honored to host Dr. Stephen J. Reynolds and Julia K. Johnson with their very special program!