There are a number of domes or dome-like structures surrounding Yosemite Valley. For the most part, these features were shaped through exfoliation--the falling-away of chunks of granite--and weathering.
It is believed that Half Dome--unlike its counterpart, North Dome (left)--was never a full dome. Some believe that this and the rest of Yosemite Valley's features were carved by glaciers during one of the major glacial periods, but some geologists make a strong case that exfoliation caused by water freezing in cracks had more impact than massive glaciers did. Recent large rockfalls in the Yosemite Falls area lend support to this theory.
The Royal Arches can be seen as arcing shadows directly beneath North Dome.
