Sierra Nevada Introduction

[@spyou]

I was curious about Sierra Nevada mountain during school class, and thank you for letting me know like this

[@SingleShotSingleTake]

Thank you for teaching this Dr. Lopez!

[@rinsecycle]

Thank you Mr. Lopez. Your lectures are really nice. I’m learning a lot! Much appreciated!

[@MountainFisher]

The plaque on top of Mt. Whitney says 14,505 feet. Should mention the 1872 earthquake that the fault jumped up to 15 to 20 feet for like 80 miles and a sideways movement of 35 to 40 feet, called the Lone Pine Quake. You can still see the uplifted fault near the Alabama H9ills near Lone Pine. It is considered the biggest quake in California history. Imagine that happening in San Francisco with the land moving that much. Luckily the San Andreas isn't a subduction fault like the Owens Fault is.

[@goldcat1844]

Do you think the Sierra nevada experienced several phases of uplift. I figure it was formed during the cascadia volcanic arch and then accreated onto nevada.

[@caissa6187]

Great videos! Also, thank you for explaining it's not Sierra'S ..... I can literally see my Volcanology prof. head exploding every time someone says that! hahaha :-)

[@marshaezell1546]

My husband hikes often in the Sierra and brings back photos. I couldn't remember the term "xenolith" from my mid '60's geology class so am refreshing by bingeing thru your outstanding videos. Am considering your fall on-line class. We live in Sonora. What text book are you referencing?

[@ethannkyle]

I think your 60’s geology class would have been a lot different than now. I’m sure theories have changed and terms updated since then.

[@thevikingtraveler]

What book are you mentioning in this video?

[@ManuelMartinez-zq3vq]

Great presentation pro spanish Gold wa s discovered in callifornia late 16 th century any old spanish mines or native american mines to prove this ?

[@dawsonl]

This is good. Thank you. A question, what distinguishes the Sierra Nevada from the Cascade?

[@erichobbs4042]

The simplest way to distinguish them is that the Sierra formed from the upwelling of the batholith, while the Cascades formed from volcanism. Lassen, Shasta, Hood, St Hellens, Addams, Reiner, these are all volcanoes. So basically, different rock.

[@michaelhusar3668]

Nick Zentner from Washington has been producing videos on the cascades and other pacific northwest geology topics. Highly recommend.

[@dawsonl]

@@michaelhusar3668 Thanks since I first posted I've watched a ton of Zenter. I now understand that the Cascades are the Volcanic chain created by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate. While the Sierras are the plutonic remanents of a similar subduction volcanic arc that ended when the last of the Farallon was subducted and the formation of the San Andreas began.

[@vanhooligan7532]

Sierra is a word for the teeth on a saw blade. The mountain range looked liked saw teeth so, the named the mountains after it. The Spanish word for mountains is Montanas. I don't know where this guy got his info from. My family is Hispanic and my daughter is named Sierra.

[@backcountrygirl]

Mountain range and mountains are distinct. For example, a mountain range contains more than one mountain whereas a mountain is simply one mountain. Sierra comes from the latin work serra and spanish speaking countries have used that word to refer to a range of mountains.

[@briane173]

You named your daughter Saw Tooth?

[@oceandrew]

Are you absolutely POSITIVE mountain ranges were named after saw blades? 'Coz I would bet saw blades didn't exist when "man" was first confronted by mountain ranges.

[@briang70]

@@oceandrew In response to @vanhooligan and according to Britannica, the first true saw with teeth was an early invention during the metal age. Any mountain range without the word, "Sierra" in it is not named after the profile of a saw blade. If a mountain range ever confronts me, I'd run like hell the other way. LOL

[@frankr2246]

From the same Latin root as "serrated".