The geological story of the Southern Illinois landscape and rock formations is introduced in this highly readable guide written and illustrated for everyone who enjoys exploring the outdoors.The book presents a lively and clear account of the geology and landscape of Southern Illinois that will deepen the reader s knowledge of the earth s past as well as serve as a handbook for excursions into the outdoors. Residents and visitors alike will learn to identify landscape features created in the medium of sedimentary rocks and shaped by bedrock geology, the dynamic local climate, movements of the earth s crust, and circulations of groundwater. Photographs and drawings provide visual examples of the landscape features discussed, and small index maps simplify locating them by showing their principal distribution. Many segments of topographic maps aid in identifying typical formations and associated land-forms.Exploring the land and rocks, whether on foot or by car or boat, increases in fascination through enriched understanding of the story nature has left in the landscape. Nature s story in Southern Illinois is superbly introduced in "Exploring the Land and Rocks of Southern Illinois.""