Field assignment gel 103

Field Assignment Gel-103

LOCAT ION-SOUTH L AKE TAHOE , CAL IFORNIABY: MARK HERRON

View from high above spooner summit, South Lake Tahoe, CAPhotographed by Mark Herron

This rock which was found in the area around Fallen Leaf is called a Scoria(commonly called a Lava Rock) It is an Igneous rock with holes called vesicles. This rock is formed when Magma filled with gas solidifies before the gas can escape, which causes the Vesicles(pockets) colors range from black to this color of a reddish brown.

Photo by Mark Herron

This rock was found near Barker Pass in Blackwood canyon(west shore of Lake Tahoe) After some strenuous research I believe this rock to be a Iron bearing Slate rock. This is a Sedimentary Rock, you can clearly see the Iron running through.

Photo By Mark Herron

What a find! This is Obsidian, in it considered an Extrusive Igneous rock, made from clear volcanic glass. Silica rich lava cools rapidly causing the streamline texture of this rock. Dark Iron oxide minerals are what cause this clear glass to turn black. This beautiful rock was used by Native Americans as a weapon, such as spear tips and arrow heads, also used as tools, with a skilled hand this rock can be extremely sharp. The grey you see if actually ash that solidified as well during the glass cooling causing the random spots of grey.


Possibly from space? This possible Meteorite was found by Freel Peak. I am not sure that it is in fact a Meteorite but it sure does have the characteristics of one, It is extremely heavy for its size.


Another space artifact? Different in characteristics as the one before this possible space rock is very heavy and metallic.


This find is Amazing! From my research and prior knowledge this looks to me like a fully grooved Archaic axe head perform. Used by Native Americans as a tool and weapon


This pile of rocks compile most of what we found during our research. I wanted to throw this picture in maybe you can identify some with your knowledge, unfortunately we didn’t have time to research them all.Photo By Mark Herron

The California Mountain Quail. (coastal Brunescens) About 10-12” long, this quails earliest ancestors date back to almost 63 million years! Was photographed near Camp Richardson this April.


Photo By Mark HerronPhoto By Mark Herron

Introducing the Yellow Bellied Marmot (Marmota Flaviventris) This was a very elusive little mammal making it hard to photograph. Ancestry dates back 200 million years! They evolved from the first reptile/mammal crossed species. Eventually evolved into the first mammal during the age of the dinosaurs (Pantotheria) they were at the time the size of a modern mouse. The Pantotheria split into two species marsupials and placental mammals. The mammal first in line to evolve into modern marmot did so in the Paleocene epoch, some 25 Million years ago. They are basically Ground squirrels that have adapted with shorter tails because they have no need for them. This little guy measuring about 24” from head to tail was photographed on Barker Pass rd, in Blackwood Canyon(West Shore of Lake Tahoe)

Photo By Mark Herron Photo By Mark Herron Photo By Mark Herron

The infamous Golden Eagle! A bird that strikes fear into your heart, if you happen to be a mountain goat or a small animal of any kind. This tough bird will fight off a bear to get a meal. One of the largest birds in North America, they are considered Raptorial birds “raptor” these birds evolved from ancients reptiles somewhere between 66 and 144 million years ago. It is thought that there feathers evolved from reptile scales. Went from reptile to a Kite(ancient bird) then 36 million years ago evolved into eagles. This beautiful predator was photographed at the local Recreation Center by shear luck.





Fallen Leaf Lake- This lake is located just south of Lake Tahoe and it just as beautiful. Fallen Leaf was formed by 2 glaciers from the Glen Alpine valley. It stretches 2.9 miles long and .9 miles wide. This lake is 415 feet deep at 6377 feet in elevation. The water in this lake is exchanged(refreshed) every eight years!


Taken high above Spooner summit of Lake Tahoe and Spooner lake. Lake Tahoe was formed about 24 million years ago by a geologic block that faulted creating ancient Lake Tahoe. More modern Lake Tahoe was Sculpted by Glaciers which widened out the basin creating this huge Lake I have the pleasure of calling home for the last 27 years. Snow melt/rain/streams filled the lake. Photo By Mark Herron

Lake Tahoe photographed from the East Shore(Vista Point) Lake Tahoe has 72 miles of shoreline, is 22 miles from north to south and 12 miles from east to west. The deepest point in the lake found is 1645 ft! 191 sq miles of surface area sits at 6225 above sea level. Average depth of the lake is 1000 ft! The lake is surrounded by many of the Sierra Nevada's tallest mountain peaks, such as Freel Peak the tallest in the basin at 10,891 ft. It is the second deepest lake in the U.S. and the highest lake of its size in the U.S. temperatures range from 40 degrees to 70 degrees and under 700ft the lake remains at a chilling 39 degrees.

Photo By Mark Herron Photo By Mark Herron

This very little known spot is called Bear Glade. It is a very different eco-system. It looks like a simple meadow right? Wrong, there is running water underneath the ground that causes the ground to have a springy/bouncy effect. Water runs down a near by cliff injecting itself under the soil and flows underneath your feet with very little water that actually comes through to the surface. Pretty cool little gem of a location if you ask me. The photo to the left is the spring that leads to the cliff. All taken near the Star Lake area.


Bottom right photo is why you will probably have a hard time finding Bear Glade, it is nestled within this forest. The other photos are just some of the surrounding areas of Star Lake.



The Jeffery Pine! The most common Pine tree in the area Around Lake Tahoe. This tree can grow up to 7 feet in diameter, 200ft tall and live for 500 years. This tree offers a home and a food source for many small animals in the area such as squirrel, bird, raccoon and insects.


A meadow/forest path behind my parents house, it is easy to find the woods when you are surrounded by nothing but.


I had to add this picture into my presentation, this is a photo of High Meadows. I work for the Forest Service in the Lake Tahoe Basin, this was a restoration project that I was lucky enough to play a big part in. We(a team of around ten) spent the summer last year in this beautiful location. The meadow was dying, the river had dug so deep into the landscape that it wasn’t feeding the meadow, we brought the water level up by re-building the river bed and slowing the rivers flow down, now the river will flood out into the meadow during the wetter months(flood plain) and feed the meadow keeping it alive an healthy for many years to come. This was a long and exhausting project but it was definitely worth it. The meadow will thrive now, if we hadn’t intervened and completed this project the meadow could have turned into a high desert within a few decades. Nature is a huge part of who I am, I have very strong morals because of where a grew up, also I have a very healthy respect for mother earth and will do my part to make sure she survives, after all if she doesn’t make it where does that leave us?


• (n.d.). In http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/american-eagle/bald-eagles-evolutionary-ancestors/4274/. Retrieved June 17, 2013

• (n.d.). In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Leaf_Lake_(California). Retrieved June 19, 2013

• (n.d.). In Http://tahoe.usgs.gov/facts.html. Retrieved June 17, 201

• The biogeography of yellow bellied marmots(Marmota Flaviventris). (n.d.).in http://onlinesfsu.edu./bholzman/courses/fall01.html

• (2000,october). In Http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/fall00/projects/quail.html Retrieved June17, 2013

• (n.d.). In geology.com Retrieved June 7, 2013

• “obsidian” Wolrd of earth science.2003. Retrieved June 7, 2013 from encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/lg2.3437800423.html

• (n.d.). In Htpp://www.westernartifacts.com/tools.html Retrieved June 18, 2013

http://onlinesfsu.edu./bholzman/courses/fall01.html

http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/fall00/projects/quail.html%20Retrieved%20June17

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/lg2.3437800423.html

Field assignment gel 103

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