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Geologic Trip, Tuolumne Meadows Pothole Dome During the last glacial
episode, Tuolumne Meadows was covered by the 2,000-foot thick Tuolumne
icefield. Much of this ice moved slowly westward down the Tenaya and Tuolumne
River drainages. When the ice encountered a low hill of resistant granite, it
overrode the hill and ground the hill into a rounded, streamlined shape,
called a roche moutonnée.
There are many roche moutonnée in the Tuolumne Meadows area. Two of the best
examples are Lembert Dome and Pothole Dome and
both are formed from the Cathedral Peak Granodiorite. Pothole Dome has potholes and
flutes on the south side of the dome, features that are common in
rivers but rarely found on roche moutonnée. Exterior Websites National Park Service: Yosemite Hikes: _____ |