Mark Herron completed a field assignment around South Lake Tahoe, California, where he photographed and researched various rocks, plants, animals, and geological features. Some of his key findings included identifying obsidian and slate rocks, photographing local wildlife like quail and marmots, and documenting the formation and features of lakes in the area like Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake. He also discussed restoring a meadow ecosystem through a forest service project. The document included over 20 photos and captions taken by Herron to illustrate the natural features of the area.

1. Field Assignment
Gel-103
LOCATION -SOUTH
LAKE
TAHOE, CALIFORNI
A
BY: MARK HERRON
View from high above spooner summit, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Photographed by Mark Herron

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.
Photo By Mark Herron

5. 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.Photo By Mark Herron

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

7. 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
Photo By Mark Herron

8. 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

9. 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 Herron
Photo By Mark Herron
Photo By Mark Herron

10. 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

11. 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.
Photo By Mark Herron
Photo By Mark Herron
Photo By Mark Herron
Photo By Mark Herron

12. 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!
Photo By Mark Herron

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.
Photo By Mark Herron Photo By Mark Herron

16. 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.
Photo By Mark Herron
Photo By Mark HerronPhoto By Mark Herron

17. 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.
Photo By Mark Herron

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

19. 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?
Photo By Mark Herron

20. • (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