Earth Science addresses rocks, volcanoes, glaciers, landslides, earthquakes, oceans, and atmosphere, etc., all in the context of the relatively new theory of plate tectonics describing how the Earth works. The geology of California is special since we live on the active San Andreas transform plate boundary (hence the earthquakes), which evolved from the previously existing subduction zone plate boundary (responsible for the California Coast Ranges, Cascade volcanic range, and the Sierra Nevada).
