Friday, May 15, 2020

Yosemite National Park - Igneous Rocks


I visited Yosemite National Park with my brother Jason and (to be) sister in law Kelly. Yosemite is made up of the interaction of glaciers and the underlying rocks. Granite dominates the Yosemite area and much of the Sierra Nevada as well. Granite is a type of light-colored igneous rock. I can see the grains in the rock because they are visible to the unaided eye. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar, with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. Many of the high peaks and cliffs at Yosemite are granite and more than 100 million years old. Most of Yosemite is comprised of plutonic igneous rocks which means they form deep underground when molten rock cools and solidifies very slowly, allowing large crystals to form. Attached is a picture of Jason and Kelly on top of Half Dome which is made up of granite, after they got engaged. (picture is real, they actually got engaged there 😊)


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