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Geologic time scale of the different settings in California. Kings Canyon National Park is located in the lower right-hand corner.
One of the most important aspects of the geology of Kings Canyon National Park are its mountains. The park contains a grave amount of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. These mountains were formed due to tectonic activity, subduction to be specific. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are granitic, meaning that they are made up of rocks like granite, monzonite, and diorite. These rocks are intrusive igneous rocks, forming from cooled molten rock deep within the Earth's surface.
The ancient process of subduction in the Sierra Nevada region (National Parks Service).
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney
Location
Mount Whitney is a sight in the park that you have to put in some work to see. Another small chain of mountains blocks the view of visitors trying to see Mount Whitney from park roads, so you must see Mount Whitney from the Interagency Center on Highway 395.
Geologic History
Mount Whitney is a part of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, so it is granitic. This explains its gray color. The granitic rocks were formed during the Mesozoic period, specifically the Cretaceous, through processes of subduction. The granite originally formed underground, but was pushed up due to a fault, and then revealed due to river and glacial erosion over the last couple million years.
Naming
Mount Whitney was named after the State Geologist of California, Josiah Whitney, in 1864. It took until 1891 for the United State's Geologic Survey to recognize the name Mount Whitney, due to the fact that a group of individuals wanted to name it after the first founded trail on the mountain, Lone Pine. Shortly after the name Mount Whitney was verified, the first ever recorded death on the mountain was on Lone Pine trail. Supposedly, a hiker was struck and killed by lightning while trying to enjoy his lunch on the trail. There was also a bit of controversy with the name of Mount Whitney after World War II, as there was a petition to rename the moutain after Winston Churchill, but the movement failed.
Tehipite Dome
Tehipite Dome
Geologic History
Tehipite Dome is the largest granite dome in the Sierra. Being granitic like most of the mountains in the Sierra Nevada, the dome formed due to subduction and cooled molten rock. The granite was shifted upward by tectonic activity and then eroded within the last couple million years. Tehipite Dome is spherically weathered, which is quite apparent by it's shape. This dome also experiences shearing of rock layers along sheet joints.
The Gorge of Dispair
Tehipite Dome is extremely popular to climbers. A popular sight/climb is the "Gorge of Despair", which is popular for it's name, the wilderness experience, and the ranging levels of difficulty of the climb. The Gorge of Despair is not connected to the Tehipite Dome, but is a climb to view the Tehipite Dome, as they are across from one another. From information gathered, the Gorge of Despair is the view that you see during the climb, that is, the view of many different ridges and steep drops from high up.
Zumwalt Meadow
Zumwalt Meadow
Location
Zumwalt Meadow is one of the few places in Kings Canyon National Park with a large spread of flat land. This meadow is a great place to look out at the landscapes of the park. The lush landscape provides a great place to rest and relax as well. The meadow has great views of Kings River, and is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the entire park.
Geologic History
Although just a meadow, Zumwalt Meadow has an interesting geologic history. The meadow was formed by moving glaciers. Specifically by an accumulation of sediment behind the terminal moraine of the moving glacier. There are five moraines (accumulation of sediment from a glacier) within the National Park, but some of them are under the Kings River. Moraines underneath the Kings River form whitewater rapids, which are popular for watersports.
Wildlife
The meadow sees as abundance of wildlife. Birds, frogs, and even an occasional bear are often spotted within the meadow. Bears specifically are only seen in the summer, as they do not hibernate in the park in the winter.
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