Fractographic techniques reveal mechanical aspects of exfoliation in granit
ic rocks at Yosemite National Park, and electronic surveying provides infor
mation on their attitudes and dimensions. In the middle elevations of the c
liff of El Capitan, exfoliation consists of early fractures a few meters to
tens of meters in size which are fan-shaped. Fans at upper elevations poin
t upwards, whereas fans at lower elevations point downwards parallel to the
cliff. The fans interact with each other and merge into composite joints h
undreds of meters in size, normal to the minimum compressive principal stre
ss. This polarity indicates exfoliation by longitudinal splitting and buckl
ing. The palaeostress causing the exfoliation on the southwestern side of H
alf Dome is estimated to range between 0.01 MPa and 0.94 MPa. Differences i
n fracture paleostresses of joints may be used in comparing their relative
propagation velocities. It is suggested that the large exfoliation on the s
outhwestern side of Half Dome had undergone a prolonged sub-critical growth
before attaining rapid fracture velocities under post-critical conditions.
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