Geologists have long accepted that the Sierra Nevada, California, expe
rienced significant late Cenozoic tectonically induced uplift. A flexu
ral-isostatic model presented here shows, however, that a large fracti
on of the primary evidence for uplift could be generated by the lithos
pheric response to coupled erosion of the Sierra Nevada and deposition
in the adjacent Central Valley and therefore requires less tectonic f
orcing than previously believed. The sum of range-wide erosion and the
resultant isostatic rock uplift would have lowered Sierra mean elevat
ion by 200 to 1000 meters since 10 million years ago and could also ha
ve increased summit elevations during the current period of relief pro
duction.