| Granite | |
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Granite—light-colored plutonic rock—is the signature stone of Joshua Tree National Park. Formed in deep intrusions, granite underlies most of California's mountain ranges from the Sierra Nevada to the Mexican border. Because it cools slowly, its minerals grow into large, tightly locked grains. This is the medium in which weathering and erosion of various kinds have sculpted Joshua Tree's remarkable landforms.
(c) Copyright 2002 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc.
