field trip/photo journal
DESCRIPTION
Geography 5 Professor SchmidtTRANSCRIPT
FIELD JOURNALGEOGRAPHY 5LAURA GODOYNOVEMBER 25,
2012
MORMON ROCKS
The Mormon Rocks are a beautiful part of the Cajon Pass. Mormon settlers named them during their trek from Salt Lake City to Southern California.
The San Andreas Fault is the creator of the Cajon Pass, as it runs underground, splitting the Pacific and North American plate.
Laura Godoy
When looking at the sandstone up close, it is easy to tell the different types of years it’s lived through. The different layers in the strata of rock portray the natural events that have passed through. Heavy precipitation, drought, high
wind, etc. These natural events helped to form these beautiful layers of sedimentary rock.
Laura Godoy
Water once ran through this area in the Cajon Pass, creating a lovely stream. This photo shows the now, dry, stream bed.
Laura Godoy
The San Andreas Rift Zone is a continental transform fault whose motion is right-lateral strike-slip. It is located between the San Gabriel and San
Bernardino Mountains, created by the southern segment of the San Andreas Fault.
Laura Godoy
CINDER HILL
The Cinder Hill is a very beautiful landmark in the Coso Volcanic field. It is reddish color because it is a basaltic cinder cone.
Laura Godoy
The Lava Flows are completely basaltic. The flows occurred between 400,000 years and 10,000 year ago.
Laura Godoy
FOSSIL FALLS
The Fossil Falls Stream Bed in Inyo County is now dried up. The stream once went through Fossil Falls and was appreciated by the Native Americans in the
area.
Laura Godoy
These falls were formed by melted
waters from glaciers, named the Tioga, in the Sierra Nevadas. That melted water flowed into what
became a river. Over time, the river flowed through the lava flow
and smoothed the basalt out, giving
Fossil Falls its sleek image.
Laura Godoy
These unique and circular holes are smooth and deep. They were created
when small pieces of debris would find their way into the
basalt from the water flow. Over time, with
the speed and strength of the water
flow, the pieces of debris would spin
and spin in the basalt, forming the
holes.Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
The Native Americans that lived in this specific area used the obsidian
they found from the Coso Mountains for weapons and tools. They would
haul chunks of obsidian over towards the flowing
water for a peaceful working experience. The chippings from their work
litter the ground to this day, creating a beautiful sparkling walkway for all
visitors.
Laura Godoy
A petroglyph is a rock engraving created by carving, picking, and
other methods. A Native American who lived in this area thousands of years ago created this petroglyph. The actual meaning of this specific petroglyph is unknown
and debated. It is a beautiful site to see.
Laura Godoy
This house ring made out of rocks
was used as a living area for the Native Americans of this area. When it was
warm, like the summer, they would
stay in the cool Sierra Nevadas and when it was cooler,
they’d migrate to the flatter dry valley.
House Rings made migrating easier for
them.
Laura Godoy
MT. WHITNEY
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the entire state! It’s highest elevation is 14,505 feet. A true marvelous sight.
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
DIAZ LAKE
Diaz Lake is a sag pond that was created after an earthquake in 1872, along the Lone Pine Fault. The earthquake caused the land to sink and displaced the
land which led water from the natural spring to fill the area.
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
At the base of the Alabama Hills, lies the Lone Pine Fault. In 1872, an earthquake caused a lot of
destruction to the surrounding towns, killed 29 people, and formed the Diaz Lake.
Laura Godoy
MANZANAR
Manzanar is infamous for being a Japanese
internment camp opened by the U.S. government during World War II. Sitting quietly in the Owens
Valley, Manzanar held almost 120,000
Japanese Americans at its peak. They were
brought here, stripped from their belongings, forced to live through extreme weather and harsh conditions. The internment camp was
closed in 1945.Laura Godoy
The land around the area is completely barren. When Manzanar was closed, the people were forced to leave and the wood from the shacks was used to build buildings in Lone Pine.
Laura Godoy
More of its barren environment, along
with a strip of concrete engraved
by names of the Japanese Americans
who built it.
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
MONO LAKE
Mono Lake is an extremely saline lake in Mono County, California. Because it has no outlet, it is considered a dead lake. Unfortunately, the water
level has decreased incredibly by Los Angeles diverting its water for their own drinking ability. Since it is hyper saline it does not have a wide
variety of ecology, only, brine shrimp, alkali flies, and some migratory birds.
Beautiful tufa formations crowd the area, standing as a testimony to
the water deprivation the lake has experienced. In 1978, David Gaines formed a committee in hopes to change the lake’s destiny and demand its water back! The
story of Mono Lake is an inspiring and influential one in
California’s history.Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Paoha Island Negit Island
Here are the well known islands on Mono Lake. Paoha is a volcanic island that formed in the 17th century. It gets its pale look by clay and other types of sediments from the Island. Negit, Paoha’s neighbor, is the darker and smaller one. It is older than Paoha and is actually a volcano. It is dark because it is composed of lava flows.
Since the population of Los Angeles increased so rapidly after World War II, Los Angeles decided to rob the streams of the Mono Basin for its aqueduct. Since Mono Lake was no longer receiving fresh water, its lake level dropped
dramatically. The tufa formations are not the only symbols of water deprivation, this photo shows the former shorelines that appeared when the lake shrunk. Each former shorelines shows just how far the lake shrunk. It is scary to think that it was that high up and then shrunk to where it is now.
Laura Godoy
Tufa formations are gorgeous testimonies to where the lake once was. They formed when underground freshwater springs entered the lake, which caused the spring water to react with the alkaline water in the lake. Limestone then formed through the combination of those things. Tufa only expands under the surface of the water because their growth relies on the reaction within the water. It is sad to know that tufa’s are visible because the lake shrunk so
far.
Laura Godoy
CONVICT LAKE
Beautiful Convict Lake is among the Sierra
Nevadas. The name for the lake comes from a true story in which a
group of convicts escaped from Carson
City Prison in 1871 and were then caught and hanged at this exact
lake. Laurel Mountain is the oldest rock formation
in the Sierras. It is amazing to be able to
see it.
Laura Godoy
JUNE LAKE LOOP
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
EASTERN CALIFORNIA
MUSEUM
This autograph album really impressed me because I, personally, am fascinated by intimate gems from someone’s past. That is why I love thrifting,
visiting antique shops, and getting to know stellar museums. Finding this autograph album, tucked away at the back of the museum felt like winning
the lotto! Reading such a private note from Stella’s friend, Ella, felt like winning a million bucks. I bet Stella never thought that something so private
of hers would be on display. It really caught my attention.
Laura Godoy
UNUSUAL EVENTS/ SIGHTINGS
OF WILDLIFE/ WEATHER RELATEDPHENOMENA, ETC.
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
IN TRANSIT OPTIONAL
This alluvial fan lies at the bottom of the San Gabriel Mountains and is built up by streams or
debris flows in the Rancho area.
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
These towers are used to collect information from the atmosphere and locate precipitation; these
towers help predict the weather.
Laura Godoy
These are hills made from leftover mining material. They appear to be completely isolated, in the
middle of nowhere off Highway 395. They are there because miners are searching for gold and silver. It
appears to be deserted and dangerous.
Laura Godoy
The Garlock Fault is a left lateral strike slip fault and runs runs along the base of the Tehachapi
Mountains. The Garlock Fault borders the Mojave Desert and is the second longest fault in all of
California!
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
Laura Godoy
The Owens Dry Lake is dry because when the City of Los Angeles needed water after World War II, they purchased Owens Valley and sent its water over to their county. This led the lake to be drained which led to horrible ecological
effects to the land and health defects to Owens Valley’s residents.
Laura Godoy
THE END