Yosemite Granite Falling

Rock falls are a natural consequence of the continuous exfoliation processes occurring on the granite cliffs in yosemite valley.

Yosemite granite falling.

Visitors to the park from hikers to rock climbers experience a landscape dominated by granite. A hunk of rock the size of an apartment building has fallen off the famous granite face of el capitan in yosemite national park in california killing one person and injuring another. The best hikes in yosemite wind through valleys climb up granite faces to waterfall views and traverse alpine meadows through some of the most spectacular scenery in the lower 48. Yosemite nature notes 20.

Yosemite hiker killed in fall from half dome. El capitan granite is a type of granite also see granodiorite in a large area near el capitan in yosemite national park california united states the granite forms part of the tuolumne intrusive suite also known as tuolumne batholith one of the four major intrusive suites within the sierra nevada. Many national parks were founded for their geology and yosemite is known throughout the world for its exceptional high cliffs and rounded domes. Half dome is a massive granite feature at the east end of yosemite valley.

However most of the time the exfoliation processes result in rock slides and ballistic rock free falls are rare. Yosemite s granite cliffs are breathing and heat can make them fall geologists studied a slab of rock slowly peeling from yosemite s royal arches to see how temperature affects. El capitan granite is mostly unjointed.