"The "modern" geological history of Point Lobos begins about 100 million years ago when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Miles below the earth's surface a molten mass of rock deep inside a prehistoric chain of active volcanoes slowly cooled into what geologists call Santa Lucia Granodiorite. Over the next 40 million years this hard, granite-like rock slowly rose to the surface and now comprises one of the four types of rocks at Point Lobos. Resting on top of the granodiorite is an ancient deposit of sand and gravel that formed about 60 million years ago and has since hardened into a sandstone called the Carmelo Formation. Lying on top of the Carmelo Formation, like frosting on a cake, is the third geologically significant type of rock found at the reserve: sedimentary rocks that were deposited on ancient marine terraces. These terraces were formed as ocean waves created wide platforms when the sea level was higher than it is today. The sediments that were eroded from the old shoreline and deposited on the marine terraces consist of clay, silt, sand and gravel up to two million years of old. The fourth type of rock at Point Lobos is found along the shoreline where you can see how wave action has worn away the Carmelo Formation and granodiorite to form deposits of gravel and white sand beaches."