Vertical arrows show the clean prominence of three peaks on an island.
Yosemite granite domes.
As granitic plutons cool kilometers below the earth s surface minerals in the rock crystallize under uniform confining.
Toward the end of earth s last ice age huge glaciers moved down from the sierra nevada high country carrying debris that scoured and polished yosemite s granite rocks to a smooth surface.
The bedrock geology of yosemite national park consists almost entirely of granitic rocks.
Mount hoffmann and most of the terrain visible from it are composed of granite formed deep within the earth by solidification of formerly molten rock material and subsequently exposed by erosion of the overlying rocks.
Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface.
The best hikes in yosemite wind through valleys climb up granite faces to waterfall views and traverse alpine meadows through some of the most spectacular scenery in the lower 48.
Of all of the stunning natural features that compose yosemite s landscape the park s granite domes are among the most unique.
Massive granite dominates the yosemite area and much of the sierra nevada as well.
Generally domical features such as these are known as bornhardts bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed of granite and granitic gneiss.
Granite granite dominates the geology of yosemite national park.
The park boundary perfectly frames a landscape that is composed almost entirely of granite and it s no surprise that this landscape contains some of the most iconic rock formations on earth.