Oakland Geology

I recently put up a new printable version of the US Geological Survey’s geologic map of the Oakland region. You can download it, and the separate page with the key to all the colors and symbols, from the map page. This is a small preview.

Of all the rock quarries in our hills since Oakland was founded, I’ll focus today on what may be the most striking one. It’s had several different names, but I call it the Davie quarry because for nearly a century it’s been a memorial to one of Oakland’s most colorful mayors, Joh...

Oakland used to brag about the quality of its streets, which were made of Oakland rock. Two things, an accident of geology and technological happenstance, meant our first roads were built starting around 1860 with macadam paving, the pre-asphalt method of constructing roadw...