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Geologic Trip, Tuolumne
Meadows Tioga Pass At Tioga Pass, Highway
120 abruptly leaves Tuolumne Meadows and begins its descent down the steep
eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, following Lee
Vining Creek to the town of Lee Vining. The
depressions that are now filled by Tioga Lake and Ellery Lake were scooped
out by the large glaciers that flowed down the canyon during the Pleistocene
glacial episodes. The dark rocks at
Ellery Lake seen in this photograph are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age that form a roof pendant in the Sierra Nevada
batholith. Roof
pendants represent older rocks that were part of the roof of the batholith,
and were intruded, heated, and metamorphosed during intrusion of the
batholith. Exterior Websites National Park Service: Yosemite Hikes: _____ |