Question

El Capitan
El Capitan is a massive granite batholith, or rock formation that pushes up into the surrounding rock. Its sides are smooth and steep, making it a prized and difficult route for rock climbers.

Shiprock
Shiprock gets its name because its jagged, flat fins of rock resemble the many sails of an old tall ship. This volcanic neck also resembles a castle rising from the surrounding desert floor.

3. Explain how El Capitan and Shiprock are alike and different. Use evidence from the pictures to support your answer.

Answer 1

Similarities
- Both are large, prominent rock formations that rise sharply above the surrounding landscape. (In the El Capitan picture you can see one massive cliff towering above the valley floor; in the Shiprock picture the rock rises abruptly from the flat desert.)
- Both are made of igneous rock and are erosion-resistant features left standing as softer surrounding rock wore away.

Differences
- Shape and surface: El Capitan is a single, smooth, steep-faced monolith (the picture shows a broad, nearly vertical light-colored granite face). Shiprock is jagged and broken into narrow, finlike spires (the picture shows dark, serrated fins that look like sails or a castle).
- Origin: El Capitan is a granite batholith that pushed up into surrounding rock and cooled below the surface; Shiprock is a volcanic neck (the solidified conduit of a volcano) that remains after surrounding material eroded away. The pictures support this: El Capitan’s uniform cliff hints at a massive, coherent body of rock, while Shiprock’s columnar, fractured appearance fits a volcanic conduit and eroded dikes.
- Setting and appearance: El Capitan’s face looks smooth and continuous, which makes it popular for rock climbing, whereas Shiprock’s irregular, sharp fins create a rugged silhouette against the desert and would be much harder to climb as a single face.