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Sierra Nevada Earthquake History From Lichens on Rockfall Blocks
Strong seismic shaking from nearby and distant earthquakes causes rocks to shift downhill and fall from cliffs. Lichens colonize bare rock and largest lichen sizes date times when blocks fell. Lichen-size measurements cluster in peaks that record earthquake-induced and nonseismic landslides. Same-age lichen-size peaks throughout the Sierra Nevada record regional seismic shaking events. Peak sizes are larger nearer earthquake epicenters, so are used to make maps describing seismic shaking intensity for historic and prehistoric earthquakes, and to study sensitivity of landforms to earthquakes.
To see how distant or local earthquakes cause landslides in the Sierra Nevada and how we can use lichens to study such co-seismic landslides.
earthquake history, lichen, lichenometry, rockfalls, seismic activity, landslides, non-seismic landslides, co-seismic, cliff failures, sierra nevada geology, crustose lichens
gray lichen, speckled yellow-green lichen
Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon, Acarospora chlorophana, Lecidea atrobrunnea,
Bull, William R. "Sierra Nevada Earthquake History From Lichens on Rockfall Blocks." Sierra Nature Notes, Vol. 4, 2004.
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Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia-Kings Canyon Park, Roaring River Talus Slope
Roaring River, South Fork Kings Canyon