24 Nov 2022

105

The Geography of Yosemite National Park

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Academic level: College

Paper type: Research Paper

Words: 953

Pages: 3

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Yosemite National Park is one of the largest parks in California. It is situated in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The park is famous for its natural resources like the ancient sequoia trees, the Tunnel View, and the iconic vista of towering Bridal veil fall. The park covers an area of 3,029 kilometers square and sits in four counties in California State. Due to its natural and unique features, Yosemite National Park is the largest and most famous park in the Sierra Nevada. Yosemite National Park is located in the scenic mountain region in east-central California, in the United States. It is among the United States' biggest national parks situated approximately 225 kilometers east of San Francisco City ( Abbey et al., 2019) . The park is surrounded by national forest lands covering nearly 1,189 miles. Yosemite National Park was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 due to its composition. The park has many perks in the southern area like Mount Lyell, which is approximately 3,997 meters in height and hence is the tallest summit in the park ( Abbey et al., 2019) . Other tall perks that cover Yosemite National Park include Mount Dan, Kuna Perk, Rodgers Peak, Mount Maclure, and Mount Gibbs. Many mountains in the park are higher than 3,700 m, thus the tallest mountains in California. Apart from other beautiful natural fascinations in Yosemite National Park are many pristine lakes. The lakes provide aquatic life with shelter and a water source for plants growing in the park. Some of the lakes in the park include Mirror Lake, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Tenaya Lake, and many small lakes around Tuolumne Meadows and White Wolf. The current geologic research of Yosemite National Park reveals that two major surface processes have been the source of most oceans, rivers, and waves. First, the deposition and deformation of hard metamorphic rocks, which happens during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, leads to the formation of rocks in the park. Erosion and glaciation are other processes that contribute to the formation of lakes, rivers, and oceans in the park ( Abbey et al., 2019) . Historically, the park's location is associated with various tectonic processes resulting in natural calamities such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Recent research reveals that no significant volcanic eruption has been reported at the park for an extended period ( Kamoroff et al., 2020) . However, a low-magnitude volcanic eruption was reported on the park's northern side, which produced volcanic deposits. The number of volcanic deposits was insignificant; thus, it does not lead to mass destruction, as reported in the Western United States, where many volcanic eruptions occur ( Kamoroff et al., 2020) . Earthquake is one of the most prevalent tectonic processes which frequently occur in California. Earthquakes are active tectonic processes in the Sierra Nevada, but they usually come at different magnitudes. The recent earthquakes near the park were reported near Yosemite Valley, located in northern California. Over the last 30 days, a total of 52 earthquakes have been reported near the park marking the site an area of active tectonic processes ( Schofield et al., 2020) . Geological stories about Yosemite National Park reveal that most of the park's components like rocks and minerals are formed through tectonic processes such as erosion and glaciation. These processes cause the weathering of mountains to form minerals and rocks. Even though erosion is rampant at the park, the recent glaciation started approximately 50,000 years ago ( Schofield et al., 2020) . Each glaciation adds a new layer of complexity and depth to the park's landscape, resulting in thousands of dazzling new natural features. Ecological stories about the park also disclose that the site has ancient rocks. However, the vast majority of the park is covered by plutonic igneous rocks. These rocks are formed when large rocks solidify and allow crystals to form ( Jenkins et al., 2019) . The park comprises of volcanic igneous rocks and minerals formed when volcanic deposits and molten rocks quickly solidify on the earth's surface. The molting of rocks leads to the formation of small crystals and minerals such as granite, granodiorite, quartz monzonite, and tonalities. Metamorphic rocks are also found in the park. These rocks are formed from sedimentary and volcanic rocks through metamorphosis ( Gutierrez & Bursztyn, 2019) . Lastly, tectonic processes of the earth's inner core lead to the formation of lakes and seas at the park leaving behind striking natural features. Yosemite National Park has been experiencing changes in weather and climatic condition. However, the Mediterranean is the common climatic condition experienced around the park ( Booth et al., 2020) . The park also experiences unpredicted weather changes characterized by hot and dry summers and mildly cold and wet winters. During summers, high temperatures with a lack of significant rainfalls are reported at the park. The temperature sometimes shoots to 32.2°C, mostly at the peak of July, and lowers immensely during winter seasons up to -2°C ( Booth et al., 2020) . Therefore, the park's management encourages tourists to confirm the park's weather and climatic conditions before visiting the site. On the other hand, the park’s elevation is approximately 2,000 feet to 13,000 feet above sea level. The park receives about 94.9% of its precipitation, mostly between October and May and above 75 % between November and March ( Danforth et al., 2020) . Lastly, Yosemite Park experiences blanketed snow from November through May during the winter, characterized by heavy rainfalls and storms. 

Conclusion 

In summary, Yosemite National Park is one of the largest national parks in California with dazzling natural features. It is located in the scenic mountain region in east-central California comprised of mountains, lakes, seas, oceans, rivers, and rocks. The park covers a significant area that provides shelter for its inhabitants. Geological stories reveal that tectonic processes at the park lead to the formation of lakes, rivers, and rocks. The park experiences climatic and weather changes annually; thus, it is essential to make inquiries before visiting the park. 

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References 

Abbey, A. L., Randolph-Flagg, N. G., & Shuster, D. L. (2019). Isotopic constraints on fluid-rock interactions associated with the Little Devils Postpile magmatic intrusion, Yosemite National Park, CA.  AGUFM 2019 , V34A-05. 

Abney, R. B., Kuhn, T. J., Chow, A., Hockaday, W., Fogel, M. L., & Berhe, A. A. (2019). Pyrogenic carbon erosion after the Rim Fire, Yosemite National Park: The role of burn severity and slope.  Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 124 (2), 432-449. 

Booth, D. B., Ross‐Smith, K., Haddon, E. K., Dunne, T., Larsen, E. W., Roche, J. W., ... & Mahacek, V. (2020). Opportunities and challenges for restoration of the Merced River through Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, USA.  River Research and Applications

Danforth, M. E., Messenger, S., Buttke, D., Weinburke, M., Carroll, G., Hacker, G., ... & Novak, M. (2020). Long-Term Rodent Surveillance after Outbreak of Hantavirus Infection, Yosemite National Park, California, USA, 2012.  Emerging Infectious Diseases 26 (3), 560. 

Gutierrez, J. A., & Bursztyn, N. (2019). The story of ice: Design of a virtual and augmented reality field trip through Yosemite national park. In  Cases on smart learning environments  (pp. 1-16). IGI Global. 

Jenkins, J., Fleenor, A., & Dietz, F. (2019). Moving Beyond the Frame: Geovisualization of Landscape Change Along the Southwestern Edge of Yosemite National Park.  Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis 3 (2), 9. 

Schofield, L. N., Eyes, S. A., Siegel, R. B., & Stock, S. L. (2020). Habitat selection by spotted owls after a megafire in Yosemite National park.  Forest Ecology and Management 478 , 118511. 

Komaroff, C., Daniele, N., Grasso, R. L., Rising, R., Espinoza, T., & Goldberg, C. S. (2020). Effective removal of the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) on a landscape level: long-term monitoring and removal efforts in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park.  Biological Invasions 22 (2), a617-626. 

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