The picture above is of the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault. The fault runs approximately 810 miles through the state of California. Andrew Lawson, a UC Berkeley geology professor, was the individual who first identified the fault. The San Andreas Fault is what forms the tectonic boundary between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate. The fault has a motion which is a right-lateral skip motion, or otherwise known as a horizontal motion.

The San Andreas Fault can be divided into three different segments. These segments are known as the northern segment, central segment, and the southern segment. The northern segment runs from Hollister to the San Francisco Peninsula. The central segment runs from Parkfield to Hollister. The final segment, the southern segment, runs from the Salton Sea to the San Bernardino Mountains.

This picture was taken at Yosemite National Park in California. As you can see by the appearance of the rocks, there has been a great deal of weathering and erosion that has taken. Weathering is defined as the breaking down of the Earth’s minerals, rocks, and soils through direct contact with the planet’s atmosphere. Weathering is not to be confused with erosion because weathering occurs when there is no movement. Erosion occurs when there is movement of rocks, minerals, or soil. This movement is usually is done by water, wind, ice, or gravity.

This is another example of how weathering and erosion can eat away at rock formations. Notice how the weathering process has exposed the roots of this tree. This picture was also taken at Yosemite National Park.

This is an example of mass wasting. Mass wasting is also known as mass movement or slope movement. It is a geomorphic process in which rock, regolith, or soil move downslope as a direct result of the force of gravity. There are different types of mass wasting; these include falls, topples, slides, creeps and falls. This picture was taken on the Yosemite.

This picture was taken at Red Rock Canyon State Park. This is an example of a continental sedimentary environment.

This is a picture of my daughter Lyndsay playing in the middle of a transitional sedimentary environment. This picture was taken at Pismo Beach.

This picture is an example of a marine sedimentary environment. It is of a reef.

This picture is of a canal located in Fresno, California. This is a practical use of geology because these are man-made channels to deliver or route water. There are two types of man-made canals, these are Aqueducts and Waterways. Aqueducts have many different uses, these include: delivery of potable water, agricultural irrigation and municipal uses. Waterways are commonly used for carrying ships and boats.