Dr. Thom Davis Reveals the Conejo Valley’s Explosive Geologic History. See the Recording Here

Published by Anne Russell on 09/22/2024

Dr. Thom Davis

Dr. Thom Davis, a California State registered geologist and founder and director of the nonprofit Geologic Maps Foundation, was the second guest in COSF’s 2024 Speaker Series on September 18, with his presentation “Trail Geology: A Look at Rock Formations, Faults and Landscapes in the Conejo Open Space.”

He began by noting our open space’s unique distinction as part of the Western Transverse Range—the only mountain formation in North America that’s oriented East-West. His focus was mostly on the last 13-17 million years, in which sea levels have risen and fallen, changing our coastline dramatically.

He discussed the formation and composition of specific volcanic features, like Old Boney, that are familiar to us as hikers. He also covered the critical role that the San Andreas and Garlock Faults play in our seismically active landscape, where the Pacific and North American Plates meet. “We’re in a very active area because we’re within a plate boundary,” he noted.

Dr. Davis volunteers for the Wildlands Conservancy’s Wind Wolves Preserve providing geological advice and courses and is an avid hiker, hitting the trails several times a week with local hiking groups. He serves as a volunteer hike leader and instructor for the Geo-hikes and Weekday Trailblazers hiking clubs and has served as an instructor at California State University Bakersfield for field geology classes.

He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

You can watch Dr. Davis’s hour-long presentation here.