Getting to the bottom of the highest peak in the Lower 48

May 7, 2015 9:39 PM

The history of a surprisingly enigmatic Sierra Nevada mountain range.
posted by Long Way To Go (8 comments total)

Quite a bit more difficult and demanding an article than I expected, but worth the effort.

I loved the way one researcher was able to reject a reigning theory that Sierra uplift was due to tilting around a hinge running down the Central Valley by looking at 'bathtub rings' in ancient caves.
posted by jamjam at 10:41 PM on May 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

All sorts of interesting things back home.

The girlfriend and I are going to backpack to devil's postpile for even more geological weirdness.
posted by The Power Nap at 11:57 PM on May 7, 2015

Super cool story. Thanks for posting!
posted by cthuljew at 12:13 AM on May 8, 2015

Now I want to go back and see what John McPhee wrote about it.
posted by MtDewd at 4:49 AM on May 8, 2015

Loved this article, thank you!
posted by spitbull at 5:21 AM on May 8, 2015

It's insane to contemplate that groundwater depletion may be influencing the uplift rate of freaking mountains. And you thought all we had to worry about was anthropogenic climate change! Great article I would have otherwise missed, thanks.
posted by mollweide at 5:32 AM on May 8, 2015

It's insane to contemplate that groundwater depletion may be influencing the uplift rate of freaking mountains.

And earthquakes!
posted by notyou at 6:56 AM on May 8, 2015

I tried to read this, but failed. Hideously over-written. Ars could so do with, you know, editing...
posted by Devonian at 11:25 AM on May 8, 2015