Granite Mountain is a solid
dome, also known as a
bornhardt
A bornhardt () is a dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock outcropping at least in height and several hundred metres in width. They are named after Wilhelm Bornhardt (1864–1946), a German geologist and explorer of German East Africa, who first d ...
, of pink
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
(pink granite is also known as Sunset Red) rising over 860 feet one mile west of
Marble Falls, Texas
Marble Falls is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city population was 7,033.
Lake Marble Falls is part of the Highland Lakes on the Colorado River, the largest chain of lakes in Texas.
Hi ...
. Since quarry operations began in the late 19th century, the distinctive pink-red colored rock has been used in the construction of the
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 ...
in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, and also for the construction of the
Galveston Seawall
The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, that was built after the Galveston hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. From ...
. In 1882, three businessmen and the owners of Granite Mountain, G. W. Lacy (of the Lacy Lans Ranch),
N. L. Norton and W. H. Westfall, donated the amount of granite necessary to build the Texas State Capitol.
The mountain no longer looks like a geographic feature because of the heavy mining, which has fully covered its surface. A similar but much larger area known as
Enchanted Rock
Enchanted Rock is a pink granite mountain located in the Llano Uplift about north of Fredericksburg, Texas and south of Llano, Texas, United States. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans t ...
State Natural Area can be seen in its undisturbed state west of Marble Falls near
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg (german: Friedrichsberg) is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, this city had a population of 10,530.
Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. ...
.
See also
*
Llano Uplift
The Llano Uplift is a geologically ancient, low geologic dome that is about in diameter and located mostly in Llano, Mason, San Saba, Gillespie, and Blanco counties, Texas. It consists of an island-like exposure of Precambrian igneous and m ...
*
Geology of Texas
Texas contains a wide variety of geologic settings. The state's stratigraphy has been largely influenced by marine transgressive-regressive cycles during the Phanerozoic, with a lesser but still significant contribution from late Cenozoic tecton ...
References
External links
Granite MountainTexas State Historical AssociationMountain Zone
Geology of Texas
Landforms of Burnet County, Texas
National Natural Landmarks in Texas
Granite domes
Mountains of Texas
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