Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra Nevada

Geologic Sites: Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains

The Eastern face of the Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley offer spectacular views and diverse geology. My interest in revisting the area and studying its geology also stems from my having spent time in my youth camping and fishing in the area with my family. The mixed volcanic and granitic terrain is a beautiful area to visit. (Click on Right Side of Photo to Proceed through the Gallery)

Sierra Nevada outside Bishop rises sharply from the Owens Valley. Mountains are composed of granitic rock formed during the Mesozoic era (70-250 million years ago). Valley pulled away and sank relative to the Sierra Nevada during the Middle and Late Miocene epoch (7-20 million years ago). The Sierran tilted fault block uplifted either in the late Mesozoic or Paleogene (25-90 million years ago) or in the Miocene and Pliocene epochs (3-25 million years ago).

Snow dusted peaks of the Sierra Nevada near Bishop CA. The Alabama foothills composed of both granite and other igneous rock are in the foreground. Long Valley Caldera: This is the view from McGee Creek Road East over Crowley Lake and the filled in basin that was part of the Long Valley Caldera created by a violent volcanic explosion 760,000 years ago. I'm standing near one edge of the caldera, and the volcanic ridges/peaks in the distant left mark a distant edge of the caldera.

Long Valley Caldera: This is the view from McGee Creek Road East over Crowley Lake and the filled in basin that was part of the Long Valley Caldera created by a violent volcanic explosion 760,000 years ago. I'm standing near one edge of the caldera, and the volcanic ridges/peaks in the distant left mark a distant edge of the caldera.

Convict Lake with the first seasonal light snow over the Sierra Nevada. I spent time viewing the glacial moraines above the lake and nearby remnants of the Hilton Creek Fault made visible by the 1980 earthquakes in the area.

Moraine near Convict Lake formed by glacier action that occurred most recently during the Great Ice Age (20,000 to 6,000 years ago).

Hot Creek Geologic Site has hot springs, fumaroles derived from heat from the magma below fault lines in the resurgent dome area next to Crowley Lake.

Mono Domes, the newest mountain range in the USA. These rhyolitic volcanic domes and coulees (glass flows) that have high silicon content have formed by episodic eruptions between 35,000 and 650 years ago.

Crater Mountain (left) and South Coulee are two of the most striking rhyolitic volcanic peaks in the Mono Domes. These are the first volcanoes I ever saw. When I about 10 years old my family camped along Parker Creek in the June Lake area, and I have vivid memories of getting up at dawn and hiking to view these volcanoes and Mono Lake as the Sun rose.

Panum Crater is one of the newest of the Mono Dome craters having last erupted explosively 650 years ago. I visited it and hiked into the top of the plugged crater.

Mono lake and Paoha Island. Tufa towers in Mono Lake: Calcium carbonate deposits form when calcium rich waters from hot springs mix with carbonate-rich lake water.

Tufa towers in Mono Lake: Calcium carbonate deposits form when calcium rich waters from hot springs mix with carbonate-rich lake water.

Devil's Punch Bowl in the Mono Dome area. A small crater from explosive volcanic eruption with a glass dome in the center. Carson peak is in the background.

Devil's Punch Bowl in infrared. Panum Crater: Large blocks of pumice and obsidian form the crater plug.

Panum Crater: Large blocks of pumice and obsidian form the crater plug. Panum Crater: Large blocks of pumice and banded obsidian form the crater plug.

Panum Crater: Large blocks of pumice and banded obsidian form the crater plug. Panum Crater Plug: Bands of obsidian and pumice are in the blocks forming the plug. This is rhyolitic lava with high silica content (75%) with potassium and sodium. It has low content of iron, magnesium and calcium.

Panum Crater Plug: Bands of obsidian and pumice are in the blocks forming the plug. This is rhyolitic lava with high silica content (75%) with potassium and sodium. It has low content of iron, magnesium and calcium.

Panum Crater: Pumice (lighter with air bubbles) and darker obsidian. Both are formed from the same silica-rich (rhyolitic) volcanic material. The pumice was from fast explosive eruption with rapid cooling to capture gas bubbles. Obsidian is formed from slowly ejected material that cools rapidly after gas bubble escape. The upper left piece obsidian is reflecting the sky and appears bluer than the lower right piece which is natural colored. Panum Crater: Banded obsidian. You can see alternating bands where gas bubble didn't all escape before cooling solidified the rhyolitic ejecta.

Panum Crater: Banded obsidian. You can see alternating bands where gas bubble didn't all escape before cooling solidified the rhyolitic ejecta. Obsidian Dome: Massive mound of obsidian and pumice partially covered by snow. This is a young volcanic dome in the Inyo Domes group. This was produced by a slow, oozing magma flow about 600 years ago.

Obsidian Dome: Massive mound of obsidian and pumice partially covered by snow. This is a young volcanic dome in the Inyo Domes group. This was produced by a slow, oozing magma flow about 600 years ago.

Carson Peak in the June Lake area as viewed from Panum Crater.

Parker Creek Water Collection Pond: This ice-covered pond is near an area where my family camped and went trout fishing in the late 50's and earl 60's. The City of Los Angeles no longer permits camping on this creek. Parker Creek in Winter: This small creek was great for trout fishing in the 50's and 60's. I have fond memories of fishing with my family as a boy along this Creek.

Parker Creek in Winter: This small creek was great for trout fishing in the 50's and 60's. I have fond memories of fishing with my family as a boy along this Creek.

City of Los Angeles Sign at Parker Creek. The City of Los Angeles bought land and water rights in the Owens Valley and around Mono Lake in the early 1900's and began diverting large quantities of water to Los Angeles after completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and diversion of Mono Basin Streams in 1942. Note 9mm editorial comment in the sign intended to keep coliform content of the stream water at a low level.

My 4WD F150 in Winter camouflage at Walker Lake trailhead (8355 ft). I had many opportunities to bond with this fine heavy duty truck with high wheel clearance on my travels in the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley.

Dawn over the White Mountains along Highway 395 as I leave Bishop.

Sierra Nevada and Alabama foothills at Lone Pine CA. Mount Whitney is the sawtooth peak right of center.

Moonset over Sierra Nevada at Lone Pine, Infrared.