Merging Canadian geology with global evolution, this highly illustrated survey also touches on the development of Ontario's mining and oil industries, and the commercial use of rocks as building material. Ontario Rocks concludes with an exploration of the "artificial" urban landscape, and how geologists use their knowledge to safeguard groundwater and rivers, dispose of wastes and understand the hazards posed by earthquakes and erosion. Road Rocks Ontario is a highly accessible source book, perfect for students and all those intrigued by the history and formation of the land under us.

During the last 3 billion years Ontario has been witness to giant tectonic collisions as North America collided in turn with South America and Africa creating huge mountains now long gone. Many of Ontario's northern rocks originated as magma on ancient ocean floors long before life flourished. The province has been dented by fiery meteorites, drifted across the equator, been flooded by tropical seas rich in marine life and scraped bare by ice sheets.

Ontario's rich geologic history is illustrated here by short descriptions of more than 200 field sites ranging from Timmins in the north to Windsor in the south. These include the Sleeping Giant near Thunder Bay; Agawa Canyon; the Sudbury meteorite crater; Niagara Escarpment; the Falls and Gorge; numerous caves, the mineral-rich Bancroft area; and the high lakeshore cliffs at Scarborough Bluffs. Some sites are sacred to First Nations and are associated with spectacular rock art.

Also included are sites from adjacent parts of Quebec such as the Monteregian Hills near Montreal, the Gatineau Hills at Ottawa and a few sites in New York State, all of which add to the story of the geological evolution of Ontario and all of which are all within easy driving distance from Ontario. Each site features a short summary of its significance and is depicted on a map with GPS coordinates.

Take a drive through our geology and take a few moments to think of Ontario's long and varied history.