Half Dome Granodiorite is granodiorite (see also granite ) found in a region on and near Half Dome , in Yosemite National Park , California , United States. The granodiorite forms part of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite (aka Tuolumne Batholith ), one of the four major intrusive suites within the Sierra Nevada .
5-523: The Tuolumne Intrusive Suite is the youngest and most extensive of the intrusive suites of Yosemite National Park, and also comprises about 1/3 of the park's area. The Suite includes Half Dome Granodiorite , Cathedral Peak Granite , and Kuna Crest Granodiorite . The largest pluton of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite is Cathedral Peak Granodiorite, which extends long distances both the north and south of Tuolumne Meadows . The southwestern part of
10-496: Is between 85 and 83.4 (+/-1 to 2%) Ma , with average age of 84.1 Ma. It is younger than Sentinel granodiorite (88.4 Ma), and older than Cathedral Peak granite (83.7 Ma). Half Dome Granodiorite is the Valley's youngest plutonic rock . Half Dome Granodiorite dominates Yosemite Valley area east of Royal Arches and Glacier Point . At Church Bowl and in the cliff west of Royal Arches, horizontal dikes of Half Dome Granodiorite cut
15-696: The Tuolumne Intrusive Suite is made up of Half Dome Granodiorite. The youngest, smallest, and most central rock body is of the Johnson Granite Porphyry From oldest to youngest, the rock units are Half Dome Granodiorite The granodiorite has large crystals of biotite , hornblende , and both feldspars — orthoclase and plagioclase . The space between crystals tends to be filled with quartz . The hornblende tends to have large, over 0.5 in (1.27 cm) rectangular crystals . The biotite forms hexagonal "blocks," up to 0.25 in (6.35 mm) across. A knife blade can peel
20-541: The edges. Sphene is found in Half Dome Granodiorite. The grains are honey-colored, and large at 0.25 in (6.35 mm) across. Uranium is also present. From petrographic observation, the average mineral proportion of non-layered rocks of Half Dome Granodiorite is 45% plagioclase feldspar, 25% quartz , 8% biotite , 15% K-feldspar , 5% hornblende , 1% titanite , and 1% magnetite . Half Dome Granodiorite traces to early Late Cretaceous . Its age
25-456: The older granodiorite of Kuna Crest . Half Dome Granodiorite forms the sheer cliffs to the north of the trail between the Ahwahnee Hotel and Mirror Lake . The trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls also crosses through Half Dome Granodiorite. This Mariposa County, California –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Yosemite -related article is
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