America has changed over the years in many ways. Medicine has improved, the average standard of living has increased, and the overall quality of life has changed dramatically over time. Yet these are all short-term ideals when considered as a whole. While all of this is important, to truly understand the real face of America, we have to go back further than a few hundred years. The face of America can be best described by thinking about its appearance. Questions like “How were the Rocky Mountains formed?” or “Why are the Great Plains located where they are?” These types of questions are important because once we understand why certain areas have the qualities they do, it becomes easier to determine why Americans live and respond the way they do. For example, not only Americans, but humans in general desire a marine climate zone, usually close to a water source, and moderate temperatures that do not fluctuate much. This is why so many people live on the coast, near California or Florida. What gets interesting is that if the tectonic plates hadn't moved the way they did, and perhaps hadn't broken apart differently than Pangea, then America wouldn't have the same appearance as it is today. America would have more or less land for people to farm and live on, which could change areas of higher population or common wealth depending on whether the new land was useful in some way. This all has to do with why America looks the way it does or the “face” of America. Since California has already been mentioned, it's a great place to start explaining complex geologic impacts, starting with the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas is what geologists call a strike-slip fault, meaning that when two dots are in the middle of the paper, it's about how people live and interact in America today. From why California experiences so many earthquakes with the San Andreas Fault, to the formation of America's national treasure Yellowstone Park, and even why certain cultures are located where they are, it's important to know what geology affects the United States. America has changed in different ways over time, but changing geology is the changing face of America. Work CitedHussey, Russell C. Historical Geology: The Geologic History of North America. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1947. 379. Print “The Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch).” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Internet. February 18, 2014. “The San Andreas Fault.” The San Andreas Fault. Internet. February 12, 2014. "USGS: Geological Survey Bulletin 1347 (Earthquakes)." USGS: Geological Survey Bulletin 1347 (Earthquakes). Internet. February 20. 2014.