38 



POINT LOBOS RESERVE 



There are features of the geology of the Point Lobos Reserve which are 

 of outstanding importance from an educational standpoint. These are : 

 (1) The presence of a mass of igneous rock which was intruded in a molten 

 state into the crust of the earth at considerable depth and at high tempera- 

 tures, cooling slowly to form a granodiorite in which large crystals of 

 quartz, feldspar and mica may be seen; (2) Sedimentary structures of the 

 Carmelo formation produced by wave action in the past, similar in char- 

 acter to the forces now shaping this part of the coast of California; (3) 

 The development of sea-cut terrace surfaces in the immediate past at levels 

 considerably above present sea level, but similar in form and character 

 to the sea-cut shelf now being eroded along the coast, and indicating recent 

 changes in sea level; and (4) The action of the waves on a coast line com- 

 posed of varying types of rocks and varying structural features. 



Even the casual visitor is likely to gain some insight into the geology of 

 Point Lobos, for here are exposed the rocks which reveal the chapters of 

 earth history. 



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