ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lake Corcoran

Lake Corcoran was a very big lake that existed a long time ago, before many people were around. Just like when you draw a picture with colored pencils on paper, the Earth's surface goes through many changes over time. So, the lake was formed tens of thousands of years ago when a long line of mountains called the Sierra Nevada were being created. This happened because the Earth's plates moved around and collided with each other.

Lake Corcoran was a freshwater lake that once covered a large area in California's Central Valley. It was named after a geologist who studied it. The lake was incredibly big and it was home to many kinds of animals and plants, just like the lakes you see today. But as time passed, the lake started to shrink in size. The climate changed, becoming drier and hotter, which meant the water evaporated quickly. Eventually, the lake turned into a flat plain with no water in it.

Even though Lake Corcoran doesn't exist anymore, geologists and scientists use the rocks, sediment, and fossils from the lake to learn about the history of the area. They can learn about the climate, vegetation, and animals that lived there thousands of years ago. So, while the lake may be gone, it's still important for us to learn and understand its story.