Q 01/05

Most of Pinnacles National Park is also protected as what?

A) A national forest

B) A wildlife refuge

C) Designated wilderness

D) A national recreation area

Answer · why

C) Designated wilderness

Designated wilderness covers the rock spires that give Pinnacles its name, giving those formations even stronger protection against development.

Q 02/05

The other half of the volcano that formed Pinnacles' spires lies about 195 miles southeast, in which county?

A) Kern County

B) Ventura County

C) Los Angeles County

D) San Bernardino County

Answer · why

C) Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County holds the matching half near Lancaster, and its rare breccias match Pinnacles' rocks, revealing how far the fault carried the spire...

Q 03/05

Which fault carried Pinnacles' volcanic rocks some 195 miles northwest of where they formed?

A) San Andreas

B) Hayward

C) Garlock

D) Calaveras

Answer · why

A) San Andreas

The San Andreas Fault creeps steadily along this stretch instead of locking up, so severe earthquakes are less frequent near Pinnacles.

Q 04/05

Some of the condor eggs laid at Pinnacles after nesting resumed in 2010 were eaten by which birds?

A) Ravens

B) Red-tailed hawks

C) Great horned owls

D) Turkey vultures

Answer · why

A) Ravens

Ravens took some of those eggs, a heavy loss for a bird that typically lays a single egg every other year.

Q 05/05

Roughly how long ago did that volcano erupt?

A) About 2 million years ago

B) About 23 million years ago

C) About 65 million years ago

D) About 230 million years ago

Answer · why

B) About 23 million years ago

The fault has moved the two halves apart at about 1.5 centimetres a year, roughly six inches a decade.