Sierra May Have Risen Earlier Than Previously Thought

Owens Valley and Sierra Nevada Escarpment from the Inyo Range

Based on studies of volcanic glass and ancient variations of rainfall, scientists have found that portions of the Sierra Nevada may have reached their present elevation 8 or 9 million years earlier than the commonly thought 3 or 4 million years before the present.

"For the first time, we were able to document that we can track the rain shadow on both sides of the mountain range over very long time scales," said Andreas Mulch, professor of tectonics and climate at the University of Hannover in Germany.

The Stanford Report.