Description:
Northern Arizona has attracted pioneers in North American geology
since the days of John Wesley Powell; when northern Arizona was
considered to be a part of our "last frontier." Perhaps Powell, Darton,
Dutton, Walcott, Noble, Gregory, Gilbert, Davis, or Robinson would not
have been surprised to learn that the geology of northern Arizona would
play an important part several generations later in the geologic
exploration of a new frontier--that of space. Largely because of the
variety of geologic terranes, good exposures, and the presence of
geologic analogs of lunar features, Apollo astronauts received training
in ten different field sites in northern Arizona, including operational
rehearsals for lunar geologic traverses.
Because of the importance of the geology of northern Arizona to
both the history of the science and to an understanding of the geology
of North America, papers were solicited to provide an up-to-date
synthesis of this geologically varied region. The contributors
represent a variety of sponsoring institutions. Most are affiliated
with the U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Arizona University, or the
Museum of Northern Arizona; other universities and research agencies
are represented, as are state agencies and mining companies.