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Geologic Trip, Lone Pine
Area Mt. Whitney The photograph, taken from Lone Pine, shows
Mt. Whitney (center), the highest point along the steep eastern escarpment of
the Sierra Nevada. The escarpment
is formed from a deeply eroded fault. Over the last five million years there has been over
10,000 feet of displacement along this fault. The east face of Mt.
Whitney has a large number of vertical indentations, giving this side of the mountain a fluted appearance. The
indentations are formed by intersecting vertical joints in the granodiorite that forms the mountain. The granodiorite breaks into blocks along these
joints, aided by the freeze and thaw action of water. This type of erosion is
common in the High Sierra where rocks are jointed,
and where there is water and freezing temperatures. The Alabama Hills, in the
foreground, are formed from the same types of rocks as Mt. Whitney, and are
geologically part of the Sierra Nevada. Exterior Websites USGS: _____ |