Domed Landscape
Olmstead Point is surrounded by dome-
shaped rock. Through a weathering process
called exfoliation this type of granite peels
away layer by layer like an onion.
Granite was formed and compressed
beneath an older mountain range of softer
stone. As overlying sediments eroded, the
exposed granite expanded from internal
pressure and cracked parallel to the surface.
(Weaker rocks usually crumble along a
network of tiny fracture lines.)
Notice the cracks - concentric, shell-like
layers along tops of nearby domes. The
process continues: domes are still
forming throughout Yosemite.
