Research Presentation

South Lake Tahoe Field Assignment

By Yocelin JimenezGeology 103 Mark Lawler

Table of Contents

Lake Tahoe Basin Granitic Rock Basalt Rock Metamorphic RockLodgepole Pine Blue Jay Bird

Lake Tahoe Basin

• The basin formed about 2 to 3 million years ago by a geological block faulting (Facts,2012).

• Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States and the tenth deepest In the world (Facts,2012).

• Freel Peak is the highest peak in Lake Tahoe basin at 10,891 ft. (Freel,2009).

Granite rock

Ingenious by nature but granite lends itself to being metamorphic as well (Lake,2012). The Sierra Nevada region is full of granite with a variety of colors, it may be due to high levels of iodine (Lake,2012). Grains large enough to be visible to naked eye, composed mainly of quartz and feldspar (Granite,2005).

Basalt Dark colored, fine grained ingenious rock (Basalt:what,2005). Composed of plagioclase and pyroxene. Most widespread of ingenious rocks and composes more than 90% of volcanic rocks (Basalt,2005).

Metamorphic rock

Metamorphic rocks have changed due to extreme pressure and heat (Metamorphic,2013). Uplift and erosion helped bring the rocks to Earth’s surface (Metamorphic,2013). Two basic types of Metamorphic rocks: foliated metamorphic rocks and non-foliated metamorphic rocks.

Lodgepole pine Second most common pine species in the Tahoe Basin (Macrae,2009). Easily recognized due to its thin flaky bark, brownish-gray color almost appearing as orange from a distance (Macrae,2009).Lodgepole pine cones are smaller than the other pine trees with an open structure and dark tips (Macrae,2009).It has evolved several geographic races that differ morphologically and ecologically (Lodgepole).One of the few species with ecological amplitudes and tolerances (Lodgepole).

Blue Jay Bird • The Blue Jay is a common large bird with a perky crest and blue, white and black plumage (Blue Jay).

• Intelligent with complex social systems and tight family bonds.

• “Their fondness for acorns is due to the help in spread of oak trees in the last glacial period” (Blue Jay).

Work Cited:• Basalt: What is Basalt? How is Basalt used?. (2005). In Geoscience news and information Geology.com. Retrieved August 1,

2013, from http://geology.com/rocks/basalt.shtml

• Basalt . (2005). In Geology rocks & minerals . Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks_minerals/rocks/basalt.html

• Blue Jay . (n.d.). In All about birds . Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/lifehistory

• Facts about Lake Tahoe . (2012, December 13). In Lake Tahoe Data Cleaning House . Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://tahoe.usgs.gov/facts.html

• Freel Peak . (2009). In Sierra Nevada Geoturism Mapguide . Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/freel-peak/sieCB8B58C78F933B764

• Granite: What is Granite? What is Granite used for?. (2005). In Geoscience news and informtion Geology.com. Retrieved August 3, 2013, from http://geology.com/rocks/granite.shtml

• Lake Tahoe Beauty.Fauna, rocks, and minerals. (2012, July 20). In Home grwn Hub . Retrieved July 27, 2013, from http://homegrownhub.org/2012/07/lake-tahoe-beauty-fauna-rocks-and-minerals/

• Lodgepole Pine-Pinus Contorta. (n.d.). In Tree species compendium-Lodgepole Pine . Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/silviculture/Compendium/LodgepolePine.htm

• Macrae, T. C. (2009, March 27). Trees of Lake Tahoe-The Pines . In Beetles In The Bush . Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://beetlesinthebush.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/trees-of-lake-tahoe-the-pines/

• Metamorphic rock facts . (2013, July 13). In Earth Facts . Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/metamorphicrocks.html

• Pictures from Google and myself