Editing Mono Lake (section)

==Geology==
Mono Lake occupies part of the [[Mono Basin]], an [[endorheic basin]] that has no outlet to the ocean. Dissolved salts in the runoff thus remain in the lake and raise the water's [[pH]] levels and salt concentration. The [[List of rivers of California#Mono Lake|tributaries of Mono Lake]] include [[Lee Vining Creek]], [[Rush Creek (Mono County, California)|Rush Creek]] and [[Mill Creek (Mono Lake)|Mill Creek]] which flows through Lundy Canyon.<ref name=gnis>{{gnis|263070|Lundy Canyon}}</ref>

The basin was formed by geological forces over the last five million years: [[basin and range]] crustal stretching and associated [[volcanism]] and faulting at the base of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]].<ref name="Tierney2000"/>{{rp|45}}

[[File:Mono Lake sat zoomed.jpg|thumb|Image of Mono Lake from space, 1985]]
From 4.5 to 2.6 million years ago, large volumes of [[basalt]] were extruded around what is now Cowtrack Mountain (east and south of Mono Basin); eventually covering {{convert|300|sqmi|km2}} and reaching a maximum thickness of {{convert|600|ft|m}}.<ref name="Tierney2000"/>{{rp|45}} Later volcanism in the area occurred 3.8 million to 250,000 years ago.<ref name="Tierney2000"/>{{rp|46}} This activity was northwest of Mono Basin and included the formation of Aurora Crater, Beauty Peak, Cedar Hill (later an island in the highest stands of Mono Lake), and Mount Hicks.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

[[Lake Russell (prehistoric)|Lake Russell]] was the prehistoric predecessor to Mono Lake, during the [[Pleistocene]]. Its shoreline reached the modern-day elevation of {{convert|2280|m|ft|order=flip}}, about {{convert|330|m|ft|-2|order=flip}} higher than the present-day lake. As of 1.6 million years ago, Lake Russell discharged to the northeast, into the Walker River drainage. After the [[Long Valley Caldera]] eruption 760,000 years ago, Lake Russell discharged into Adobe Lake to the southeast, then into the Owens River, and eventually into [[Lake Manly]] in [[Death Valley]].<ref>{{cite journal|year=2002|title=Drainage reversals in Mono Basin during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene|doi=10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<0991:DRIMBD>2.0.CO;2|first1=MC|last1=Reheis|first2=S|last2=Stine|first3=AM|last3=Sarna-Wojcicki|journal=Geological Society of America Bulletin|volume=114 |issue=8 |page=991 |bibcode=2002GSAB..114..991R }}</ref> Prominent shore lines of Lake Russell, called [[strandline]]s by geologists, can be seen west of Mono Lake.<ref name=volcanoes>{{cite web|url=http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/long_valley/long_valley_sub_page_16.html|title=Mono Lake|work=Long Valley Caldera Field Guide|publisher=USGS|access-date=2015-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229114402/http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/long_valley/long_valley_sub_page_16.html|archive-date=2014-12-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

The area around Mono Lake is currently geologically active. Volcanic activity is related to the [[Mono–Inyo Craters]]: the most recent eruption occurred 350 years ago, resulting in the formation of [[Paoha Island]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mono–Inyo Craters |url=https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mono-inyo-craters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131114723/https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mono-inyo-craters/ |archive-date=Jan 31, 2024 |access-date=2023-05-31 |publisher=USGS}}</ref> [[Panum Crater]] (on the south shore of the lake) is an example of a combined [[rhyolite]] [[Lava dome|dome]] and [[cinder cone]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Long Valley Caldera Field Guide - Panum Crater |url=https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/long-valley-caldera/long-valley-caldera-field-guide-panum-crater |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211123430/https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/long-valley-caldera/science/long-valley-caldera-field-guide-panum-crater |archive-date=Dec 11, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-29 |publisher=USGS}}</ref>

{{multiple image
|align=center
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|footer=
|image1=MonoCraters LongValley.gif
|alt1=Map of the Mono Lake area, showing geological features
|caption1=Map of the Mono Lake area showing geological features
|image2=California Pleistocene Lakes USGS.png
|alt2=Map showing the system of once-interconnected Pleistocene lakes in eastern California
|caption2=Map showing the system of once-interconnected Pleistocene lakes
|image3=Map mono lake.jpg
|alt3=Relief map of Mono Lake and surrounding area
|caption3=Relief map of Mono Lake and surrounding area
}}