Lab/Field AssignmentLab/Field AssignmentEvelina Jonsson

Geology

American American River/Folsom River/Folsom

Lake Lake This river runs from the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

It runs through Sacramento where it meets the Sacramento River and hits San Francisco Bay.

The river also runs through Folsom beneath the Folsom Lake.

Metamophic RocksMetamophic Rocks

Rattlesnake bar near Folsom Lake

Metamorphic rocks are rocks subjected to sufficient heat, pressure and fluid activity to change their mineral composition texture or both. (The Changing Earth, pg.182)

Metamorphic rocks, known as the Copper Hill Volcanics, occur east of Rattlesnake Bar, These rocks represent ancient chains of volcanic islands (island arcs) and the associated seafloor sediments that have since been buried, squeezed, and heated to form metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. During the Jurassic period, from about 160 to 140 million years ago, the island arcs were added as the ocean plate in which they were embedded was subducted beneath western North America. (parks.ca.gov)

Metamorphic Rocks

GraniteGraniteGranite is an intrusive igneous rock

Its light colored

Black and white

Course grained

Contains quartz and fedspar

GraniteGranite

Folsom Lake contains younger granitic intrusive plutons that intruded and obliterated some of the metamorphic belt and nearly flat-lying deposits of volcanic ash, debris flows, and alluvial fan deposits that overlie the older rocks. (parks.ca.gov)

Oak TreeOak Tree

Oak trees are a type of deciduous tree. These are broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one season.

The oak trees produce acorns once a year during the fall.

A mature oak tree draws up to 50 or more gallons of water per day through its roots.

Oak trees can live 200 or more years.

Height up to 30 m.

Oak TreeOak TreeOaks (Quercus spp.), members of the Beech family (Fagacea), are trees and shrubs having simple, alternate leaves found throughout the world. Characterized by their strong, complex wood, wind-pollinated flowers, fruits called acorns, and their ability to live for centuries, oaks have played an important role in temperate landscapes. Of the 500 species in the genus Quercus, approximately 90 are found in the United States and Canada, with another 112 species in Mexico. Another member of the Beech family that is closely related to the oaks is the tanoak (L. densiflorus), which is found in California and is the only representative of this Asian genus found in North America. It has flowers similar to the chinkapin (Castanopsis) and bears acorns like the oaks, thus making it a possible evolutionary link between the two genera. (Science.jrank.org)

Read more: Oaks - Evolution, Biology And Ecology, Diseases, Distribution, Historic Importance, Acorns, Wood, Ecological Significance - Economic importance - Found, Flowers, Genus, and Family - JRank Articles http://science.jrank.org/pages/4813/Oaks.html#ixzz224mMhyW3

Rattlesnake Rattlesnake California rattlesnake species include the northern Pacific rattlesnake (in northern California), and the Western Diamondback, Sidewinder, Speckled rattlesnake, Red Diamond rattlesnake, Southern Pacific, Great Basin rattlesnake and the Mojave rattlesnake (all found in Southern California). (dfg.ca.gov)

Found from sea level to the inland prairies and desert areas and to the mountains at elevations of more than 10,000 feet. (dfg.ca.gov)

Native venomous snake.(dfg.ca.gov)

Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. (dfg.ca.gov)

The shaking of their tail (rattle shaking) is a warning sign.

California King SnakeCalifornia King Snake

Prey on rattlesnakes and have become immune to their venom. They can also mimic the rattlesnakes rattle to intimidate other rattlesnakes.

Generally not aggressive.

Found in parts of North America and Mexico.

Powerful constrictor.

Normally about 48 inches long.

Few weeks ago I was walking on a trail near the Folsom Lake around dusk and a 3ft long California King Snake was in the middle of the path and struck at me. Luckily, I reacted fast enough and jumped away and it ran away too!

Scientists have concluded that the snakes probably evolved from a family of lizards during the time of the dinosaurs. Snakes and lizards share a number of distinct features in the structure of their skull; both, for instance, possess a moveable quadrate bone at the back of the jaw, and both are missing the quadratojugal bone at the rear of the skull. (Flank)

One of the earliest snakes to appear in the fossil record has been given the scientific name Lapparentophis defrenni. It was found in the Saharan Desert and has been dated to the early Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. (Flank)

ReferencesReferences

Flank, Lenny. "Evolution of Snakes." www.arachnophiliac.info. N.p., 12 Feb. 2007. Web. 22 July 2012.

"Geology and Soils." www.Parks.ca.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2012.

"Interesting Facts about Oak Trees." www.Ejad.best.vwh.net. N.p., 13 Nov. 2000. Web. 22 July 2012.

"Rattlesnakes in California." www.Dfg.ca.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2012.

www.Science.jrank.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 July 2012.