Yosemite Valley - a photo on Flickriver

Yosemite Valley

www.wolfgangstaudt.de

Yosemite National Park is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. The park covers an area of 1,189 mi² (3,081 km²) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Yosemite is visited by over 3 million visitors each year, with most only seeing Yosemite Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity (about 89% of the park is designated wilderness area). It was also the first park set aside by the U.S. federal government. Although not the first designated national park, Yosemite was a focal point in the development of the national park idea, largely owing to the work of people like John Muir.

Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and it supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet (600 to 4000 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower montane, upper montane, subalpine and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is suitable habitat or documented records for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.

The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep, narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet (1200 m) during the early glacial episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taken in: United States / California (show map)

Taken on: July 31, 2006

Tags:

Yosemite-Nationalpark

Yosemite

Sierra Nevada

Yosemite Valley

Granit

California

USA

2006

Nature

Landschaft

Landscape

Gebirge

Berge

See

Bergsee

Wildnis

Wilderness « less

Groups appears in: • Creative Photo Group_ BASIC (P1-C3) • Intelligent Travel - National Geographic Traveler's blog more » • -Spirit Of Photography • World Traveler (Post 1,Comment on previous 3) • Nikon flickr Award (Post 1 - Award 3) • !Photo-Hobby! Level 1(Post 1 Award 4) Closed! • !Photo-Hobby! Level 2 (P1-A4) Closed!! • !Photo-Hobby! Level 3 (P1-A3) Closed • *The Three Angels* LEVEL 1: Blue Angel (P1-A5) Closed • *The Three Angels* LEVEL 2: Silver Angel (P1-A4) Closed • *The Three Angels* LEVEL 3: Golden Angel (P1-A3) Closed! • Chariots of Nature - Award FIRST 3 - Post 1 Summer Contest 17 « less

Camera: Nikon D70, f/9.0, 1/320 sec, 23mm (=34mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D70
Lens:	15.0-31.0 mm f/3.5-4.5
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	23mm (35mm equivalent: 34mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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