Yosemite experiences rockfalls every year. Most make little impact, but others like the one in 2008 near Curry Village or in 2009 behind the Ahwahnee hotel are reminders that rockfalls can occur close to popular trails and facilities.
Many of Yosemite’s iconic domes and cliff faces were formed by a geological feature called exfoliation joints (rock fractures parallel to the topographic surface). These fractures are also likely the cause of many rockfalls, yet we know little about how they are formed and how they grow.
Yosemite Conservancy will fund new research that will gather measurements and develop models to predict the formation of these exfoliation joints.
The better we understand these geological features, the better we can manage rockfall scenarios while also providing visitors with the most recent educational information on this amazing landscape.