Kansas Landscapes - by Keith B Miller (Hardcover)

About the Book

"If we view the natural world in the context of time, everything we see becomes a story. Nothing can be truly understood without reference to time and change. The varied landscapes of Kansas are reflections of the underlying geology. Regions of similar topography are classified as physiographic provinces, and are underlain by rocks of similar age and composition. In Landscapes of Kansas, Keith Miller takes readers on a tour of Kansas's provinces, from those underlain by the oldest rocks to those exposing sediments deposited in the relatively recent past. Each region of Kansas is placed into the long chronology of Earth history: changing sea levels and global climates, the uplift and erosion of mountains, and the evolution of life over hundreds of millions of years"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The beauty, diversity, and underlying history of the landscapes in which Kansans live

If we view the natural world in the context of time, everything we see becomes a story. Nothing can be truly understood without reference to time and change.

Landscapes are molded by the motions of continents, the uplift and erosion of mountains, the rise and fall of sea levels, and changing global climates. The varied landscapes of Kansas are reflections of their underlying geology. Regions of similar topography are called physiographic provinces and are underlain by rocks of similar age and composition. In Kansas Landscapes, Keith Miller guides readers on a tour of these provinces, from the oldest rocks to those deposited in the relatively recent past. Each region of Kansas is placed into the long chronology of Earth history including changing sea levels and global climates, the uplift and erosion of mountains, and the evolution of life over hundreds of millions of years.

Looking more deeply and closely at Kansas landscapes results in the growing recognition of the extraordinary diversity of nature. Taking the time to recognize the diversity of living things within a landscape transforms how we see that place. The prairie changes from just a sea of grass to a diverse ecosystem of grasses, flowering plants, insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles that interact in complex ways and change dynamically with the seasons. Similarly, recognizing the diversity and environmental and ecological significance of rocks brings to light a previously unseen record of the past.

Kansas Landscapes features stunning color photographs showing the surprising diversity of landscapes and environments in Kansas.

Review Quotes

"Traveling across Kansas reveals a surprising variety of landscapes that might seem puzzling to an unacquainted observer. With his extraordinary storytelling skills, Keith Miller explains simply and yet accurately how Kansas geological history sculpted the topography, richly illustrated by Scott Bean's exquisite photographs. Kansas Landscapes will open your eyes to the hidden secrets behind the beautiful scenery!"--Karin Goldberg, Department of Geology at Kansas State University

"Think you know Kansas? Check out Scott Bean's dramatic photos. Read Keith Miller's cogent description of how the landscapes formed. Then get out there and see them for yourself."--Rex Buchanan, coauthor of Petroglyphs of the Smoky Hills

"A learned and beautifully illustrated tour of Kansas geology. Keith Miller explains why Kansas looks like Kansas."--George Frazier, author of The Last Wild Places of Kansas

"This book should be revisited before trips to any of Kansas's diverse landscapes. Beyond descriptions and photography, readers are introduced to the natural history of the state (geology, botany, zoology, and human interactions) proving author Keith Miller's claim that, 'All we see becomes a story.'"--Stephen O. Moshier, coauthor of Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins: Cosmology, Geology, and Biology in Christian Perspective

"'Geology is the art of storytelling, ' writes Keith Miller in Landscapes of Kansas. As a geologist, Miller uses the written word to help us fathom the 'deep history' behind the land as we experience it today, then he turns the project over to photographer Scott Bean, whose wonderful color images provide vivid evidence of the beauty and diversity of the Kansas landscape. A story well told!"--Jim Locklear, author of In the Country of the Kaw: A Personal Natural History of the American Plains