Uncover the dramatic volcanic forces and tectonic movements that forged Pinnacles National Park's iconic rock formations and mysterious talus caves.
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Volcanic Roots of Pinnacles National Park
This series, The Earth's Fiery Past, explores the volcanic forces and geological drama that shaped Pinnacles National Park into one of the most striking landscapes in…
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1
A Volcano That Traveled 195 Miles
The rocks towering over this landscape didn't form here.
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2
Riding a Tectonic Plate Northward
The rock beneath Pinnacles National Park is still moving.
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3
Caves Built From Falling Boulders
Pinnacles is home to two talus caves — Bear Gulch and Balconies — and neither one formed the way most caves do.
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4
Ancient Granite Beneath the Pinnacles
Long before any volcano erupted here, long before the San Andreas Fault began splitting California apart, molten rock was cooling miles beneath the earth's crust.
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5
Volcanic Breccia Towers of High Peaks
The High Peaks area is built from volcanic breccia — a concrete-like rock made of angular fragments welded together by volcanic ash and debris.
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