Yosemite Valley, California During Uplift of the Sierra Nevada

Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay


Around ten million years ago, the Sierra Nevada experienced renewed uplift and the older gentle valleys were deepened. We can see evidence of this today in Yosemite Valley. Between the vertical glacial valley walls and the gentle upland surface are steep slopes that are remnants of the former deepened valleys.

People often wonder what happened to the "other half" of Half Dome, the rounded summit with the tall cliff at the far end of Yosemite Valley. The answer is it probably never did have an "other half." It was probably already steep on one side even before the glaciers sculpted it.


Present Scene

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Created 25 November 2005, Last Update 15 January 2020