2. Table of Contents
• Formation of the basin
• Landscaping of Lake Tahoe
• Igneous-Basalt Rock
• Granite Rocks
• Metamorphic Rocks
• Manzanita Arctostaphylus
• Snow plant
• Reference
3. Lake Tahoe Basin
The basin is bounded by the Sierra
Nevada to the west and the Carson
Range to the east.
Lake Tahoe basin was formed by a
block faulting 2 to 3 million years
ago(Gould,2012). The uplifted block
created the Carson Range and the
Sierra Nevada. Down dropped blocks
created the Lake Tahoe Basin in
between high peeks.
4. Modern Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe was shaped and landscaped by glaciers during the
ice age about a million years ago (Antonucci,2012). The lake
is drained by the Truckee River. During the Pleistocene there
were many glacial periods in the Sierra Nevada
(Resendes,2012). The weight of the glaciers would cause
them to go down hill and picking up sediments, rock and
boulders as they went down. Glacial moraine deposits have
created some of the most striking shoreline features along
the west side of the lake including emerald bay and Fallen
Leaf Lake( Michaelsen).
5. Igneous- Basalt
Igneous basalt is mostly common
in Earth’s crust and it also makes
up most of the oceans floor. This
rock is made by dark colored
minerals pyroxene and
olivine(Basalt). This rock also
contains mineral crystals that
are very hard to see because the
quick cooling of the rock
prevents large crystals from
forming. Basalt forms when lava
reaches the earths surface at a
volcano or mid ocean ridge it
cools quickly within a few days or
weeks and forming a solid rock
(Basalt).
6. Granite Rocks
Granite is the best know
igneous rock. Granite is
light colored with grains
large enough to be visible.
This rock forms from the
slow crystallization of
magma below earths
surface. The mineral
composition usually gives
granite a red, pink, gray or
white color with dark
mineral grains that are
visible throughout the
rock( Granite,2005).
7. Metamorphic Rock
The formation of the
metamorphic rock was
that lava plumes reached a
block of sedimentary
under the shallow sea.
Tops of the lava plumes
pushed through the rock
leaving outcrops of
altered sedimentary rock
called metamorphic rock
(Hill). This is made up of
fine grained mica their
surface of phyllite is
typically lustrous and
sometimes wrinkled.
8. Manzanita Arctostaphylus
The Manzanita Actostaphylus
have small white flowers. This
species has a hard attractive
wood. There are about 106
different types of Manzanita
species. Having a rich fossil
record is considered to be of
Miocene origin about 15 million
years with radiation of the
genus occurring 1.5 million
years ago during the Pleistocene
(Schaefer).
9. Snow plant
Snow plant is a red, fleshy,
glandular –hairy saprophyte
lacking chlorophyll with simple
stems either solitary growing up
to 20 inches tall(Sarcodes). It
has evolved with angiosperms,
flowering plants with enclosed
seeds. This plant did not arrive
near the Lake Tahoe are until
other plants michorrhizae that it
could be able to gain nutrients
from(Monroe & Wicander) . This
plant grows when snow begins
to melt.
10. Reference
Antonucci, D. C. (n.d.). Lake Tahoe Fast Facts . In Tahoe Fund. Retrieved July 19, 2013, from
http://www.tahoefund.org/about-tahoe/recreational-paradise/
Basalt Rock (n.d.). In Window To The Universe. Retrieved August 1, 2013, from
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/geology/ig_basalt.html
Gould, M. (2012, December 13). Geography & History Overview. In Geography the National Map.
Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://tahoe.usgs.gov/geography.html
Granite (2005). In Geosciene News and Information . Retrieved August 2, 2013, from
http://geology.com/rocks/granite.shtml
Hill, M. (n.d.). The Formation of Lake Tahoe and Filling the Basin . In Geology . Retrieved August 1, 2013,
from http://eh2o.saic.com/tiimsWebsite/Content/BasinTopics/geology/default.asp
Michaelsen, J. (n.d.). In Sierra Nevada Physical Geography . Retrieved August 2, 2013, from
http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g148_f09/readings/sierra_nevada/sierra_nevada.html
Monroe & Wicander, R.(2009).The Changing Earth: Exploring geology and evolution. Belmont,
CA:Brooks/Cale, Cengage Learning.
Resendes, M. (2012). Geology Of The Sierra Nevada . In Central Sierra Historical Society. Retrieved
July 27, 2013, from http://www.sierrahistorical.org/geology-sierra-nevadas
Sanguinea, S. (n.d.). Snow Plant . In Sarcodes Sanguinea . Retrieved July 19, 2013, from
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/snowplant.html
Schaefer, B. (n.d.). Arctostaphylus . In Biogeography of Ravens Manzanita . Retrieved August 2, 2013
All pictures from Wendy Vazquez
