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2 unusual facts about tectonic uplift


South Fork Eel River

The steep terrain in the South Fork Eel's watershed is the result of continuous uplift along the San Andreas Fault, and coinciding with the erosion caused by the river and its tributaries, steep canyons and ridges, many with slopes of over 50 percent, were formed.

Titus Canyon

Although the Grapevine Mountains were uplifted relatively recently, most of the rocks that make up the range are over half a billion years old.


Raised coral atoll

A raised coral atoll or raised coral island is an atoll that has been lifted high enough above sea level by tectonic forces to protect it from scouring by storms and enable soils and diverse – often endemic – species of flora and fauna to develop.


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