Merced Peak, with an elevation of , is the highest point in the
Clark Range,
just surpassing three other peaks;
Red Peak (11,704 feet),
Gray Peak (11,578 feet), and
Mount Clark (11,527 feet).
Merced Peak is located close to southern border of
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...
, near the
Ottoway Lakes. The summit can be approached from the Quartz Mountain Trailhead over Chiquito pass or from one of two trailheads on the road to
Glacier Point.
In 1871, influential Scottish-American naturalist
John Muir
John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologis ...
discovered an active alpine glacier below Merced Peak, which helped his theory that Yosemite Valley was formed by glacial action gain acceptance.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Merced Peak is located in an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions o ...
zone.
Most
weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For in ...
s originate in the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (
orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
), causing moisture in the form of rain or snowfall to drop onto the range.
See also
*
Intrusive Suite of Merced Peak
The Intrusive Suite of Merced Peak is one of several intrusive suites in Yosemite National Park. These also include:
# Fine Gold Intrusive Suite
# Intrusive Suite of Buena Vista Crest
# Intrusive Suite of Jack Main Canyon
# Intrusive Suite of So ...
Gallery
File:Merced Peak, west.jpg, Merced Peak, west aspect
File:Merced Peak, Ottoway Lake.jpg, Merced Peak seen from Ottoway Lake
References
External links
*
"Merced Peak" Climber.org.
Mountains of Merced County, California
Mountains of Yosemite National Park
Mountains of Northern California
Sierra Nevada (United States)
{{MercedCountyCA-geo-stub