Los Angeles Against the Mountains -- John McPhee

In order to enhance your "reading experience" and to provide fodder for our discussion ....I'd like you to take some notes as you read Los Angeles Against the Mountains and do some thinking about what McPhee reports.

1. What is the primary geologic process which McPhee describes?

2. What are the specific geologic and geographic characteristics of the LA Basin and surrounding hills which make this process and the set of related processes so important in landscape development and modification? List at least 5 specific characteristics and explain how each contributes to "the process" in question 1.

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3. What are the cultural (human) aspects of Angeleno lifestyle that make the geologic processes McPhee reviews into significant geologic hazards.

4. What is the hazard reduction process taken by Angelenos? Is it reasonable? Given what you know about Geomorphology propose an alternate approach.

5. What aspects of the writing confused you? Write a question below pertaining to some part of the essay (geologic or social) that you didn't understand?