Half Dome
Half Dome is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. It stands at nearly 8,800 feet above sea level and is composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock that solidified several thousand feet within the Earth. At its core are the remains of a magma chamber that cooled slowly and crystallized beneath the Earth's surface. The solidified magma chamber was then exposed and cut in half by erosion, therefore leading to the geographic name Half Dome.
| Half Dome | |
|---|---|
Sunset over Half Dome from Glacier Point | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8846 ft (2696 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 1,360 ft (410 m) |
| Parent peak | Clouds Rest |
| Coordinates | 37°44′46″N 119°31′59″W |
| Geography | |
Half Dome Mariposa County, California, US | |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada |
| Topo map | USGS Half Dome |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous, 93 Myr |
| Mountain type | Quartz monzonite batholith |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1875 by George G. Anderson |
| Easiest route | Cable route |
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