Robert B. Marks, "Deep Time in the Mono Lake Basin: Nature and History Over the Last 10,000 Years" (U California Press, 2026)

About this episode

Robert B. Marks discusses the significance of deep time in understanding human history and environmental change in the Mono Lake Basin.

"Deep Time," a way of understanding the distant past popularized in the late 20th century by the writer John McPhee, changes our perspective on history. When looked at in the context of tectonic movements long-term climate shifts, human affairs can seem small, even insignificant. However, in Deep Time in the Mono Lake Basin: Nature and History Over the Last 10,000 Years (U California Press, 2026), Whittier College professor emeritus Bob Marks explains that people still matter, even within the long sweep of deep time. Rather than shrink human affairs down to nothing, deep time helps us contextualize the places where humans live, die, build societies, and destroy one another. Geology, hydrology, and climate change (anthropogenic and otherwise) are all part of the human story, and vice versa, in Marks' telling. The Mono Lake Basin, as a fragile and unforgiving environment that has been peopled for many centuries, is a perfect place to tell this story of environmental change, environmental degredation and, ultimately, hopeful ecoloigical restoration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member…

People in this episode

Host: Marshall Poe

Guest: Robert B. Marks

Topics covered

• deep time
• environmental change
• climate change
• human history
• Mono Lake Basin
• ecological restoration

Keywords

• deep time
• Mono Lake
• environmental degradation
• climate shifts
• geology
• hydrology
• ecological restoration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U California Press, Whittier College

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