US Mine is a corporation in Ione, California that mines lands for minerals and explores for natural resources while also being home to wildlife. The document discusses several plants and animals found at the mine site, including manzanita trees that produce berries eaten by animals, pine trees that are a major resource in California foothills, and osprey birds whose nests were historically found at the site before the author's visit. Rock samples collected include sandstone with grainy layers, quartzite with fused quartz crystals, and a metamorphic rock with mixed minerals and parallel layers.

1. US Mine
Ione,
California
By: Christina Corsaletti

2. Background:
I was lucky enough to have access to go
onto US Mine's thousands of acres to do
this project. US Mine is a corporation
that mines and explores the lands for
minerals to produce many things such as
glass, soil, fruit protectants and much
more. Along with this, they are also
home to many life forms and natural
resources.

3. Manzanita One of California’s major plant
species is manzanita. It can be
found mostly in Northern California,
from sea level to about 4,600 feet in
elevation. These small trees
become about 15 feet tall and have
very distinct features. Their long
branches twist up to the top and are
smooth and usually deep red in
color. They produce a berry that is
eaten by many animals including
fox, coyotes, and many birds.
Hogan, I. (n.d.).

4. Where it started:
It is believed that Manzanita first
started in the far western part of
North America where fossil ancestors
dating to the Middle Miocene are
apparent. Manzanita has evolved and
transformed to live in all sorts of
conditions including dry desert and
wavy hillsides.

5. Pine Trees

6. One of California’s major tree species is the Pine Tree.
Especially in the foothills, everywhere you look, you are
almost guaranteed to find a Pine Tree. These plants are
a major resource and are very easy to spot with their
pine needle-like leaves and cones. They are in a family
of around 250 woody, seed producing plants. Along with
pines, cedars, spruces, and firs are also included in their
family. Pines are adapted in cold, soil poor areas and
need a lot of light and can struggle in shaded areas.
Pines are thought to have evolved around 153 million
years ago, although estimates do vary quite widely. The
genus Pinus which includes some important timber
species is thought to have diverged from other pines
approximately 95 million years ago.Pines have evolved
to become fire avoiders beginning in the Cretaceous
period
The oldest fossil found dates back 140 million years ago.
Pine Trees. (2015, May 22)

7. Osprey
(only pictures not taken by me)

8. Unfortunately, the piece of property that i was on, was the piece that doesn’t
contain the Osprey nest. It looks very similar to the picture on the title slide. It is a
huge wooded nest and is truly a beautiful sight. Originally, Osprey were included
in the hawk family, but are now classified under their own family. They have
evolved in ways to assist in being better hunters and catching prey. Sadly,
between 1950-1970, there was a huge decline in the amount of osprey, almost to
the point of extinction. This was due to a pesticide that caused a thinning of the
egg shells. They are still considered endangered today in many areas.
Osprey Feathers. (2014, February 23).

9. Rocks

10. Sedimentary Rock
The first rock I found I believe is a Sandstone
rock. Sandstone rocks are composed of sand-
size grains of mineral, rock, or organic material.
It also contains a cementing material that binds
the sand grains together and may contain a
matrix of silt- or clay-size particles that occupy
the spaces between the sand grains. This rock
had a very grainy and sandy texture. It is hard to
tell in the picture, but this rock also had layers,
which led me to believe it was sandstone.

11. Metamorphic Rock
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock formed when
quartz-rich sandstone or chert has been
exposed to high temperatures and pressures.
Such conditions fuse the quartz grains together
forming a dense, hard, equigranular rock. When
identifying this rock, I noticed the interlocking
quartz crystals in coming to the conclusion that
this was indeed quartzite rock.
(n.d.)

12. Metamorphic Rock
When I first saw this rock, i thought it was also
quartzite, but then i realized that the white spots
weren't actually individual crystal, but different
minerals mixed together. With the many layers, I
have reason to believe that this is a
metamorphic rock. It is very brittle and
lightweight, long, and its layers are arranged in a
parallel pattern which are all characteristics of a
metamorphic rock. Unfortunately, I couldn’t
determine the specific type of metamorphic rock.

13. Law of Super Position

14. According to dictionary.com the law of super
position is defined as:
noun;Geology. a basic law of geochronology,
stating that in any undisturbed sequence of
rocks deposited in layers, the youngest layer is
on top and the oldest on bottom, each layer
being younger than theone beneath it and older
than the one above it.

15. This is another image showing the layers in the
hillside. Youngest layers at the top and older
layers on the bottom. This is also an example of
disconformity and I believe the further away
hillsides is an example of angular unconformity.
The way that the upper layers hang over the
lower layers makes me believe that its angular
unconformity.

16. Bibliography:
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks_minerals/rocks/quartzite.html
Hogan, I. (n.d.). Manzanita - Arctostaphylos - Details. Retrieved August 06, 2017, from
http://eol.org/pages/38093/details
Pine Trees. (2015, May 22). Retrieved from http://basicbiology.net/plants/gymnosperms/pine-trees/
Sandstone. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://geology.com/rocks/sandstone.shtml
Osprey Feathers. (2014, February 23). Retrieved from https://ospreytaleteller.com/2014/02/23/osprey-
feathers/