A Trip from Tamarack Lake to Red Lake

Jazmyn DaltonField Assignment

Summer 2016

Pine TreesThere are about 100 species in the pine tree family. They are easily known for their

needle like leaves that grow in a bundle (fascicle) and pine-cones that grow. Pine trees are evergreen meaning that

they always have some leaves. They have adapted to

be able to survive in many conditions including freezing, dry, and hot. The needles are covered in a waxy substance (cuticle) which reduces water loss. It is believed that pine

trees originated here in North America as this is where about

70 species are found. The oldest fossile of a pinecone is from about 130 million years

ago and is very similar looking to modern day pinecones.

(science.jrank.org)

Whitetail DeerWhitetail deer are some of the most

common deer we have. They are believed to evolved from a pig-like

creature about 30 million years ago. About 15 million years ago they crossed

the bridge from Asia to Alaska. These animals are truly amazing. They are able

to adapt to so many different habitats from our beautiful mountains to wetlands

or desserts. These animals are herbivores and their teeth have adapted

for chewing plant material. I am assuming the deer I saw was a male

deer due to the antlers, which get shed each year as they grow larger. However,

it is possible for a doe to have antlers and does occur in about 1 in every

1,000. The does that have antlers have them for life and remain small and in

velvet rather than shedding. (montclaire.edu)

Sierra Nevada MountainsOur beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges are still considered young in geological

terms. They began with an arc of volcanoes that erupted pushing up some of the granite rocks we are all so used to seeing. Erosion was also taking place showing more of the granitic rock. Then the continental crust began to stretch this broke the ranges and gave us the valley and mountain ranges we see today. (usgs.gov) Then

there was a series of uplifting and down-dropping on the East the mountains began to grow some more. Then the “Ice Age” hit and glaciers grew, as they made their way

down they created the “u” shaped valleys that we see today. It was not just one thing that went into the creation of the Sierra Nevada Mountains like this one above but

rather many things over the last 80 million years or so. (Monroe 2009)

Sierra Nevada MountainsOur beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges are still considered young in geological

terms. They began with an arc of volcanoes that erupted pushing up some of the granite rocks we are all so used to seeing. Erosion was also taking place showing more of the granitic rock. Then the continental crust began to stretch this broke the ranges and gave us the valley and mountain ranges we see today. (usgs.gov) Then

there was a series of uplifting and down-dropping on the East the mountains began to grow some more. Then the “Ice Age” hit and glaciers grew, as they made their way

down they created the “u” shaped valleys that we see today. It was not just one thing that went into the creation of the Sierra Nevada Mountains like this one above but

rather many things over the last 80 million years or so. (Monroe 2009)

This rock formation was found next to the forestale divide above

Red Lake but and before Blue Lakes. These are in the Sierra Nevada mountains. This rock is igneous rock, it is granite rock

which is what the Sierra Nevada Mountains are covered in.

Although the way it is breaking off it has the appearance of

Shale. A combination of both is very possible. While the granite

is igneous the Shale is sedimentary and can be

inclusions in the granite. We can see that we have dark inclusions in the rock. The rock is aphanitic, it is not shiny. This rock is diorite as it is very coarse. This rock is currently experiencing chemical

weathering and is getting smaller and smaller as the rock breaks

apart. This is helped by the lichen both orange and gray in color covering the rock feeding

off of it.

Quartz

Quartz is another very common rock found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This Rock was found near Red Lake. Igneous rock. Crystal form. Nonmetallic luster. Poor cleavage, the breaks and splits are irregular. Hardness of about 5. Quartz is considered a mineral. Made by cooler lava

The piece of granite is found on the shore of Tamarack

Lake. It is one of three spherical small granite masses

about the size of a car mat. When the Earth was younger this area was covered in this

granite. Over time erosion and weathering has occurred

causing there to only be pieces left. This granite is primarily

composed of potassium feldspar, plagioclase feldspar, and of course quartz. You can see a large growth of quartz in the middle of the rock where it

had previously cracked and then was filled in with the

quartz. High is silica. Mechanical weathering caused by water has helped this rock

break down.

Gold is found heavily in Northern California as well. This rock which appears to be gold inside a bit of quartz. This rock was found on the beach of Upper Blue Lake. It is spherical probably due

to the water weathering it. The yellowing appears to be gold which is often found in and near quartz. This can happen when it is forming as well as after if is formed and some

cleavage/breaking occurs and the gold can find its way inside the crevasses. Gold is quite malleable and does not rate very high on the hardness scale.

Part 3

Wet Meadows Resevior Upper Sunset Lake

These are some of the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. On the Pacific Crest Trail near Blue Lakes. In these rocks we see more

mechanical weathering caused by frost wedging. We can also see Sheet joints on the far right side that are causing the rounded area

that we see. It looks as though the rocks have been deposited horizontally (Principle of Original Horizontality) Due to glaciers and

erosion we see lost of dimension in the rock formation.

This rock formations shows nonconformity. We see the erosion between the sedimentary rock on

top with the igneous granite underneath. The reddened soil helps in giving us a hint that the erosion may be quite old. The

sedimentary rocks are younger than the igneous rocks which also shows

us the nonconformity.

CitationsSierra Nevada Mountain Facts. Retrieved July 19, 2016Http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/pacifmt.html

Pine Tree Facts. Retrieved July 20, 2016 http://science.jrank.org

White Tail Deer. Retrieved July 24, 2016 http://montclaire.edu

Monroe, J. S., & Wicander, R. (2009). The changing Earth: Exploring geology & evolution (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.