Quartzite outcrops

Much of the Snake Range consists of gently to steeply dipping meta-sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rock formations exposed in the core of the Snake Range measure about 14,000 feet thick. These rocks formed from sediments deposited during Paleozoic time along shallow marine margin. They were subsequently buried and metamorphosed during mountain-building episodes. This mountainside along the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is part of an extensive belt of quartzite, metamorphosed quartz-rich sandstone. The Prospect Mountain Quartzite is extremely resistant to erosional forces compared with other rocks. Quartzite occurs throughout the high-peaks region of the Snake Range in Great Basin National Park (Dewes and Palmer, 1957; Harris and others, 1997).