2. Things I observed in the field
• Evidence of Glaciation
• Greenleaf Manzanita
• Lupinus
Types of Rocks I observed
• Slate
• Granite
• Sandstone
3. Evidence of Glaciation
Audrey Kolkana
Lakes formed by glaciers
• Cascade Lake and Fallen Leaf Lake were both
carved by glaciers
• Glaciers then melted and filled in Lake Tahoe
and the surrounding alpine lakes
• Glaciers also formed the ridge that is used as
the road to Emerald Bay.
4. Greenleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos patula
• Related to mycorrhizal
fungi
• Greenleaf Manzanita is
the most popular kind of
Manzanita bush found in
the Sierra Nevadas
• It is found in high
elevation, low elevation
and adapts to drought
conditions.
• Needs to be visited by a
insect to pollinate.
• Thrives after fires because
heat actually sends the
seeds into germination
Granite Lake, West Shore
(USDA.GOV)
5. Lupinus perennis
or Lupine
• Requires pollination
• From the pea family
• Can self pollinate and cross
pollinate
• Grows all over western North
America
• Comes in all different colors
• 165 different species
• Adapts to drought conditions
South Shore
(www.fs.fed.us)
6. Slate• Metamorphic rock
• Formed by clay sediment
• Also made with tectonic
plate pressure and
activity
• Usually, black, grey, or
reddish brown
Metamorphic Slate
Glen Alpine Falls, Fallen Leaf Lake
Angular unconformity*
*Example of an angular unconformity because you can see an
erosional surface tilted on top of younger rock
7. Granite
• Granite boulders are found
throughout the Lake Tahoe
Basin.
• Granite is easily identified
due to its coarseness and
its speckled look.
• It is an igneous rock
Party Rock, South Shore
Eagle Lake, West Shore
Desolation Wilderness, West Shore
(Rock Key)
8. Sandstone
North Zephyr Cove, East Shore
• Made of sand, minerals and rock
• Feels coarse to touch
• Found near water source
• Can be rubbed off with finger when identifying
9. Principle of Horizontality
Fallen Leaf Lake, West Shore
Here you see the
principle of
Horizontality because
essentially the
sediment was
deposited into
horizontal layers.
Now it has been tilted
up and out.
10. References
McMillian W. & Keller I., THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON ROCKS (1987) Retrieved
from
http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/EducationalResources/Documents/IC
1987-5-idrocks.pdf
Peck, D. The Rock Identification Key (2001) Retrieved from
http://www.minsocam.org/msa/collectors_corner/id/rock_key.htm
Plant Database (2015) http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=lupin
Monroe, J. The Changing Earth (2015) Chapter 17
Greenleaf Manzanita (2015)
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/capmspg58
71.pdf
All photos used were taken by Audrey Kolkana
