Field Lab - Part One

By Ashley Nelson

• The majority of my rocks came from New Melones Lake, Ca.• This is southwest of Angels Camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills.• The New Melones Lake contains more than 700 historic and

prehistoric sites• This area was part of the gold rush in California. • Included are prehistoric habitation sites, bedrock mortars,

petroglyphs, lithic quarries, mortuary caves, historic mines, rail and wagon roads, homesteads, mills, and town sites.

Where did these rocks come from?

Shale• Sedimentary

• Somewhat brittle• Gray in color• Looks like it is mixed with clay or other mineral• Layers look like they were pressed together.

Granite

• Igneous• Found in the foothills of Clovis• Large crystals• Coarse grained texture• Very hard and durable

Quartzite• Metamorphic• Created when heat and pressure are applied to

sandstone• Looks like it was melted and pressed together• Some parts very smooth• Some parts very rough• Small crystals make the rock sparkle

Basalt• Igneous• Grey• Has another mineral mixed with it• Some parts are shiny• Small grains inside• No texture or layering

Sandstone• Sedimentary• Reddish brown color• Dull finish• Grains are uniform• No layering• Looks like the grains were cemented together

Field Lab – Part Two

By Ashley Nelson

This Fault was found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Weathering Processes

This picture shows chemical weathering because of the oxidation that caused the rust.

The flat part of the table top mountains near Millerton Lake, CA shows weathering caused by erosion.

Mass Wasting and Erosion

This picture shows ripple marks caused by wind erosion.

This is an example of mass wasting in Millerton Lake, CA.

Sedimentary Environments

Marine (Millerton Lake, CA)

Continental (Mojave Desert, CA)

Transitional (Near Millerton Lake, CA)

Practical Uses for Geology

The Friant Dam in Friant, CA (Millerton Lake)