First up is a volcano in the Aleutian Islands, trailing a massive plume of smoke. We get information about the processes causing volcanism, earthquakes and other violent changes, but mostly the photos speak for themselves. I was fascinated to learn that Mount Denali, shown in a pure white Alaska, is the tallest mountain on Earth when measured from base to summit, as Mount Everest has a smaller distance but stands high on the Tibetan Plateau. A Hawaiian volcano is taller if measured up from the seafloor.

Across Alaska and Canada we see glaciers and mountains, then the famous Burgess Shale where fossils are preserved of early life forms. Granite towers don't need fossils to attract climbers. On to the awesome Cascade volcanic chain, and the terminology of volcanism like magma, shield volcanoes, lahars, pyroclastic flow. Geology is current as well as distant; there's a photo of Mount St. Helens erupting mightily in 1980, with before and after shots. From deep canyons and sea stacks on the Oregon coast to a vivid blue Crater Lake, this part of the continent is extremely rugged.

After an explanation as to how Death Valley was formed, you may skip ahead to somewhere greener and wetter. The beauty of the book is that it is set out north to south and west to east, but you can dip in at any point of interest. I like that flight paths are suggested to see the physical features, so if you are going on a trip you can look it up ahead of time. From the Salt Lake of Utah to the square fields of Texas, the looping meanders of the Mississippi and the publicly mined Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas, the Florida Everglades, Blue Ridge Mountains and Finger Lakes, this aerial journey certainly taught me a great deal and has given me an appreciation for the AERIAL GEOLOGY shown by Mary Caperton Morton, a graduate, hiker, photographer and travel writer.