Sea of Sand

Sea of Sand
Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages : 405
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780806154817
ISBN-13 : 0806154810
Rating : 4/5 (17 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Sea of Sand by : Michael M. Geary

Download or read book Sea of Sand written by Michael M. Geary and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2016-03-31 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sculpted into graceful contours by countless centuries of wind and water, the Great Sand Dunes sprawl along the eastern fringes of the vast San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado. Covering an area of nearly thirty square miles, they are the tallest aeolian, or wind-produced, dunes in North America, towering 750 feet above the valley floor. With the addition of the enormous Baca Ranch and other adjacent lands, the dunes—originally designated as a National Monument in 1932—attained official National Park status in 2004. In Sea of Sand, Michael M. Geary guides readers on a historical journey through this unique ecosystem, which includes an array of natural and cultural wonders, from the main dunefield and verdant wetlands to the summits of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Described by explorer Zebulon Pike as “a sea in a storm” and by frontier photographer William Henry Jackson as “a curious and very singular phase of nature’s freak,” the Great Sand Dunes are a nexus of more than 10,000 years of human history, from Paleolithic big-game hunters to nomadic Native Americans, from Spanish conquistadores and transcontinental explorers to hard-rock miners and modern-day tourists in motor homes. Like these successive waves of visitors, Sea of Sand follows the water, analyzing its critical role in the settlement and development of the region. Geary also describes the profound impact that waves of human use and settlement have had on the land—which ultimately inspired the early grassroots efforts by San Luis Valley citizens to protect the dunes from further exploitation. He examines as well the more recent legislative effort led by an unprecedented coalition of local, state, and federal agencies and organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service, to secure the Great Sand Dunes’ national park designation. Amply illustrated, Sea of Sand is the definitive history of the natural, cultural, and political forces that helped shape this incomparable landscape.


Sea of Sand Related Books

Sea of Sand
Language: en
Pages: 405
Authors: Michael M. Geary
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-03-31 - Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Sculpted into graceful contours by countless centuries of wind and water, the Great Sand Dunes sprawl along the eastern fringes of the vast San Luis Valley of s
The San Luis Valley
Language: en
Pages: 100
Authors:
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2005 - Publisher: University of Arizona Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

It is a high valley edged by serrated peaks, a remote expanse the size of Connecticut lying, as if forgotten, between two mountain ranges. Here, North AmericaÕ
Great Sand Dunes National Monument
Language: en
Pages: 44
Authors: United States. National Park Service
Categories: Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colo.)
Type: BOOK - Published: 1988 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Great Sand Dunes National Monument
Language: en
Pages: 36
Authors: Stephen Trimble
Categories: Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colo.)
Type: BOOK - Published: 2000 - Publisher: Western National Parks Association

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Imagine 750-foot sand dunes thousands of miles from an ocean but near the alpine peaks of Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Great Sand Dunes' ecological en
Great Sand Dunes National Monument
Language: en
Pages: 56
Authors: David Petersen
Categories: Juvenile Nonfiction
Type: BOOK - Published: 1999 - Publisher: Scholastic Library Publishing

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ideal for today's young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section l