Rocks of Ages Basalt: A Journey to the Pacific Ring of Fire (2016)

For millions of years, rocks have been the foundation of life on Earth, often considered a record of our planet's history. Why do some sandstone landscapes appear pastel pink while others display dramatic, colorful lines? What makes one basalt boulder rough and porous, and another smooth and glassy? How do rich granite boulders appear in flat plains? What distinguishes granite from basalt, and why aren't all Earth's craters volcanic? In journeys to remarkable locations with abundant rock deposits – basalt along the Pacific Ring of Fire, sandstone in the American West, granite in the French Atlantic, and marble quarries in Rajasthan – I seek those answers.