Death Valley

1. Death Valley General info. & Geology Prepared By Mustafa Al Ramadan Mohammed Darwish Mohammad Al Mohanna

2. The hottest, driest place in North America

3. Outline • Location & Climate • Facts & Information about Death Valley • Overall Geology • Evolution of Death Valley Over Time

4. Location • It's located on the eastern edge of California, along the Nevada border, in the Mojave Desert

5. Location • It's located on the eastern edge of California, along the Nevada border, in the Mojave Desert

6. Climate • The depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures. • Heat radiates back from the rocks and soil, then becomes trapped in the valley's depths.

7. Facts • The area of the Death Valley is 5300 sq.miles • The hottest temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 57°C in 1913 • 1913 was also the year that saw Death Valley's coldest temperature -10°C • 900 different species of plants exist in the Park (ancient bristlecone pines & ephemeral spring wildflowers) • Death Valley National Park received 1,064,784 visitors in 2001 • The highest mountain in Death Valley National Park is 11,049 foot Telescope Peak. The vertical drop from the peak to the Badwater Basin is twice the depth of Grand Canyon. • Native American's have lived in Death Valley and the surrounding area for around 1000 years. The tribe is now known as the Timbisha Shoshone. • From 2.6 My to 11 thousand years ago, the floor of Death Valley was once a lake.

8. No rain was recorded in the years of 1929 and 1953!!!

9. No rain was recorded in the years of 1929 and 1953!!!

18. Geology of Death Valley • The History of Geology in Death Valley ranges to up to 1 billion years ago • The extreme topography of Death valley caused: • steep-sided erosional valleys • The construction of alluvial fans • 35 My ago the uplift of mountain blocks along the major faults started as a result of stretching and thinning of the crust, and it continues today.

19. N Satellite image of central Death Valley, (courtesy J.C. Dohrenwend, 2000; north to left).

20. Steep Sided Valleys Alluvial Fans N

21. Geological Map of Death Valley • Mainly Dominated by Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks • Precambrian Gneiss • Pahrump Group: • Consists of Limestone, Dolomite and sill intrusion of magma • Includes stromatolite • Presence of some Tertiary and Mesozoic Volcanic and Intrusive rocks. • Sand dunes and Quaternary alluvium • Modern Playas and Salt pans

22. Evolution of Death Valley • Pre-Cambrian: • Middle Pre-Cambrian • Continental rifting • Glacio-marine deposition (explains the presence of conglomeratic beds) • shallow to deep marine deposition • Rapid uplift and erosion • Late Pre-Cambrian • Thick sedimentary cover over the continental margin • Death valley was near the equator a perfect carbonate factory Conglomerates made of boulders

23. Evolution of Death Valley • Paleozoic: • Early Cambrian • Thick sedimentary deposition was still continuing. • A large period of sedimentary deposits that lasted all of Paleozoic • Mid-Cambrian to Permian • Carbonate factory (near equator) produced large scale carbonate deposits. • Alternates of Carbonate shelf deposits with mud. • An Unconformity Striped Butte in Butte Valley. Steeply tilted limestone, Permian

24. Evolution of Death Valley • Mesozoic: • Sea regression and high tectonics • Sea regression resulted in shallow marine deposits • Soon after, the sea completely withdrew creating a chain of volcanoes • Thrust faults • Thrust faulting due to regional uplift • Large scale Pluton intrusion • Ear of Dinosaurs in Arid environment (sand dunes) Split Cinder Code, Death Valley Magma A long a RL Fault

25. Evolution of Death Valley • Cenozoic: • Lake and River Deposits • Pleistocene era (2.6 My to 11 Ky) • Major Basin extension (tectonics) • Mountains rise, Alluvial Fans spread across the valley • Faulting, and development of a 600ft deep lake • Recent • Alluvial fans, playas, salt pans, dunes • Continued faulting Lake Manly, Death Valley. Evaporate Deposits

26. Thank you,