Death Valley

Badwater
Contains the oldest rocks called Precambrian they are estimated to be about 1.7 billion years old
As magma was forced into the rocks over time they began to change, making it now very hard to see how the rocks used to look.

Golden Canyon 
This trail provides a look into the heart of Death Valley. As you look out towards the Panamint Mountains you get a glimpse at what look like cuts running down the mountain Lots of past flooding has changed the composition of the rocks we see today.

Racetrack Playa 

This flat land is lies in the middle of the surrounding mountains. Small to massive boulders do cover some of the area. This area is known for the lines left behind boulders which no one can explain, the mystery as been said that they move but no one has seen them do so. There is no other explanation for the lines on the flat land followed by boulders. 

Death Valley

Death Valley

For my first visit in Death valley I explored BadWater from 1.7 billion years ago! I was curious to find that the overlaying younger rocks along with internal heat completely changed with Metamorphosis and crystalization till the original parentage structure was almost unrecognizable. I am curious to find the specific heat vs pressure ratio that is needed for this to occur along with how they still were able to discover the actual parentage from the gneiss.


Dante's View

For my next stop I visited Dante's view a large stretch of valleys stretched to the breaking point along with many mountaim ranges between. This is caused by the very active tectonic plates in Death Valley causing the stretching while tectonic plates formed the ridges and the lower parts sank in creating the Valley. I was curious to know that if the land was completely spread as far as can be creating faults and trenches does this affect the mountaim ranges as the land around them should be sinking how does this relate to the ranges as it very obvious they are eroding as is shown by the decay and yellow found in the valley.


Devil's Golf Course

Lastly on my trip I visited Devil's Golf course, this region at one point was filled with over 35 feet of water but since then has dried leaving feet of salt to grow into beautiful arrays as shown above. I am curious though that if the valley no longer recieves water as it once did how the underlying layers of mud can be flooded enough now to allow for salt uprising when the salt above ground should absorb any water and keep it separated enough for evaporation to occur which is said to be very quickly in this region.  I understand that the salt only grows at a slow rate of an inch over 35 years but as said with weathering I am interested to see the process take place because I feel that the rain wouldnt be enough to continue this process.

Week 7 - Death Valley

Badwater was of most interest to me. This was a magnificent sight. While walking across this immense white spread of salt I was wondering what was going on underneath my feet.

I wonder what kind of impact global warming and the decline of rainfall would have on Badwater. As the rains cease and with it the evaporation and crystallization of the salt, could erosion be enough to diminish the thickness of the crust? 

Artists drive is a beautiful, unbelievable creation. The multicolored rocks; pink, green, purple, brown and black is an unforgettable scene that lets you know just how much volcanic activity was here.

The uniqueness of this site makes me wonder if precise atmospheric conditions played an important role on the formation. I would like to compare similar active volcanic activity on different areas under similar temperatures and climate and possibly identify a trend on the colors. 

Devil's Golf Course was equally impressive. All of these formations are the residue of Death Valley;s last significant lake that evaporated 2000 years ago. 

            

The pinnacles form when the salty water rises up and quickly evaporates. The quick evaporation leaves a salty residue behind that slowly grows into a pinnacle. Would wind and rain eventually wash them away? Would erosion be too much for all of this to prevail. Is erosion and climate change accelerate by the human interaction with the environment? Would our footprint be too much at the end? These are the questions I can't help but think about when witnessing such a scenery. 

Axel Perez Week 7 Death Valley

My first stop was Badwater 1.8 billion years ago. Badwater is a basi contains 1.7 billion year old Precambrian rocks that are remnants of an ancient volcanic mountain belt with flanking deposits if mud and sand. I thought it was cool how millions of years ago, these venerable rocks were injected with magma that solidified to form the Willow Spring pluton.

The next place I visited were the Death Valley Dunes in the current day and age. The valleys I visited were the most accessible dunes which are a few miles from Stovepipe Wells. The primary source of dune sands is the Cottonwood Mountains which lie to the north and northwest. It was cool seeing all the ripples and dunes in the sand that begin to form. It is due ot the wind that continues to move sand up to the top of the pile until the pile is so step it collapses under its own weight. Every pile of loose particles has a unique angle of repose, depending upon the properties of the material it's made out of.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip to death Valley and will definitely not be coming here for retirement or to build my dream home.

Week 7 - Death Valley

Checking out Death Valley National Park

Artist's Drive

Artist's Drive

This is probably one of the most fascinating things I have seen. It almost looks surreal! The Artist's Drive Formation consists of blues, greens, reds, coppers, and browns spotted against the mountain faces. I would like to know which minerals cause which colors during chemical weathering and hydrothermal processes. Particularly, I'm interesting in why these colors appear here and not other places of volcanic origin. For example, the St. Francois Mountains in Missouri have their origins in ancient caldera ash-flows and ash-falls, but the most color you will there are reds and pinks.

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point

Another breathtaking scene from Death Valley, which I need to add to my bucket list. Fine-grain sediments hint of a massive water source millions of years ago. The bed consists of mudstone, silt, and clay. Uniquely, the mudstone forms a protective "shingle" that keeps water from penetrating the soil below. I would like to know why that specific form is realized when the silt and clay compress. Is that common to mudstone and found anywhere else you have a sedimentary layer?  What other rocks can be ascertained from the tilted layers? Igneous from some prehistoric volcanic incident (which I am sure as the area was quite active millions of years ago)?

Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs

While not the most striking site in Death Valley, it is the most surprising to me. The lush landscapes around the springs seem like they were transplanted from somewhere in the Midwest, like Nebraska or Iowa. Badwater is believed to have been lush and green between 2000 and 4000 years ago, so I wonder if Saratoga Springs somehow survived a similar fate. What does the soil composition look like here versus Badwater? Why are the processes at work here different from Badwater? Is Saratoga Springs dying out as well, and at what rate? These are all questions that I immediately thing of looking at this.

Week 7 - Death Valley

Split Cinder Cone

After reading about how most of the lava that erupted transformed into cinders
that fell near the vent and formed the core, I can't help but wonder just
how far away from the vent some of those cinders landed. I could find the answer
to that question by scouring the surrounding area for any traces of lava and measuring
the distance between it and Split Cinder Cone.

Photo by Tom Bean, NPS

Amargosa Chaos

I would like to know the root cause behind the deformational events that shaped
the Amargosa Chaos. I could consult a geological map that shows if there are any
fault lines in the area which could explain why these deformational events occurred.

Photo by Marli Miller

Shoreline Butte

Since Shoreline Butte is located along the edge of what once used to be a lake
I'm curious as to what kind of marine life, if any, resided in Lake Manly. The
discovery of any fossils near Shoreline Butte would help me determine the types
of organisms that called that area home.

Photo by Marli Miller

Death Valley

Ubehebe Crater

When first looking at this picture , my first question was is there any living beings at the bottom of the crater . After reading about it says this crater happened from a hydro volcanic eruption. For this to happen wet bed rock and magma meet . Why was the bed rock wet ? Was there heavy rainfall in the area ? Was there a body of water near by ?

Desert Oasis


At first glance this place this absolutely beautiful . Then after reading about it , the waters bubble. Why  do they bubble ? How is it that plants and animals can survive these extreme conditions. ? I also would like to know how hot are these waters ? Is it safe for humans to get in the water ?

Bad Water


When first reading about Badwaters .I  thought that the Earth is amazing . My first thought was imagining a large lake drying up and thinking if this much salt would be here . My question would be why are there any rocks in the ground. Also what's underneath the salt ? Is it just a thick layer ? Are there fossils underneath the ground ? Also is the ground really hard or rough ?

Week 7 - Death Valley

Badwater

Salt pan in Badwater by Ray Nordeen https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/galbad.html

Metamorphic rocks surrounding Badwater https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/ftbad1.html

It's pretty amazing to think of an expanse 282 feet below sea level.  Looking at the make up of the rocks surrounding the salt pans makes me wonder about the extreme levels of volcanic activity it would take to lower something that far below sea level. Checking faults in the area and seismic readings could help answer some of my questions. It is also amazing to think of how something that is now an inhospitable desert was once a lush lake or sea.

Golden Canyon

Entrance https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/ftgol1.html

Hiker https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/galgol.html

When I first look at golden canyon, I am immediately in awe of the power of water.  Looking at the many pictures, the first question that comes to my mind is how many tonnes of sediment have come through and carved out this canyon.  The next thing I wonder if why the alluvial fans that are being built up haven't gotten much larger than they are.  Since it appears that these flash floods do occur in the present, measuring of the displaced sediment seems possible and could answer some of these questions.

Racetrack Playa

Saltpan https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/galrac.html

When I first saw the images of the Racetrack Playa, of course the tracks of rocks immediately attracted my attention.  But what interests me more, is what forces create the polygonal cracks of the mud when the water dries.  Finally I would ask what exactly is capable of moving rocks that large on it's own.  Finally, what is the main cause that (in addition to just the Racetrack Playa) what are the causes that some areas are getting massive salt deposit formations, versus salt beds, versus the more muddier bed of the Racetrack?  Figuring out where the sediment comes from, as well as looking at the layers of the bedrock could help determine what type of beds form.

Week 7 - Death Valley

Zabriskie Point

Badlands topography

Photo by Paul Stone, USGS.

This photo is of the badlands at Zabriskie point. According to the USGS these badlands are made up of mudstone, formed in ancient lakes from compressed sediment. I am curious as to why the color at the peak of this formation is different from the rest of it. Could it be the original sediment that has not been washed away yet or was never compressed as much? Stains from stationary water? I would need more detailed pictures or samples from the top and bottom.

Golden Canyon Stop 6

 

White bands of evaporite minerals in mudstone beds. Photo by M. Moreno, USGS. 

This is a photo of evaporate minerals that are the result of water evaporating and leaving behind minerals that have flowed down from the surrounding mountains over time, similar to how salt flats are formed. I am curious about what this could tell us of the make up of the lakes during different time periods - possible insight into the climate of the time, or at least what minerals were on the tops of the mountains during the time of their formation. Do 'halite (table salt), gypsum, and borax" imply different things about the climate or geograpgy during that time period?

Shoreline Butte

 Shorelines etched into northeast flank of Shoreline Butte. Photo by Marli Miller.

These are terraces etched into the side of Shoreline Butte by the ancient Lake Manly during the Pleistocene era. I am curious to see the variation in sizes of each terrace. Perhaps that could tell us of for how long the lake stayed at that level before the lake grew shallower. It could paint a picture of the life of the lake. It would help to see it in person or a detailed topographic map which included the terraces. . 

Week 7- Death Valley

Titus Canyon

When I stopped at the Titus Canyon I noticed there were areas where erosion has taken place because of the sea. There were many limestone rocks in the canyon which were layered. I was wondering what caused the layering and how is the color of the rocks determined? A geologic map of the area would help to determine what other types of areas might have the same rocks as well as what other valleys are around it. The sea shifting caused this to develop many years ago. I noticed the rocks were layered on top of one another, which means they have been there for many years.

Photo by Tom Bean, NPS.

Aerial view of Split Cinder Cone

At this stop I noticed that they was a fault that split into two different sections. The once section is shifted to the right, which means this is a right-lateral strike-slip fault. The first thing that came to my mind was what caused this fault? Also what type of force was exerted on the fault for it to shift that far to the right? An understanding of faults and the way they move would help me at this stop. A geologic map of the land areas around the fault and bodies of water would also help. Knowing the surroundings would give you a great idea of what happened and if it could happen again.

Photo by Marli Miller

View inside Ubehebe Crater

The last stop I made was to the inside of a crater that was the site of a volcano. At this site they are many layered rocks that formed from folding over many years. Are the crater created because of the impact to the Earth's surface. The questions that came to mind were, why was the crater so deep compared to the rocks on the outside? Why did the rocks form so many layers over one another? And what was the event like that caused this crater? There were many minerals and different types of rocks that were left from the event. There is sand and rocks mixed together inside. The rocks are also different colors which most likely means some are newer than others.

Photo by W.R. Jones, NPS.

Week 7 - Death Valley

A Tour of Death Valley 

Stop #1 - Mosaic Canyon 

Mosaic Canyon

https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/galmos.html

 

The evidence of flash flooding, erosion, and sedimentary deposition is apparent in the canyon picture above. The right side of the photo shows the metamorphic rock that has been exposed and smoothed by periodic, intense flooding. The canyon floor and the left side of the photo show a variety of  pebbles and  rocks of varying sizes and shapes deposited as the flooding slowed. The composition of a variety of smaller deposited rocks from many parent rocks has become known as Breccia. I would like to know how many parent rocks are represented in the canyon. This could be reviewed and hypothesized using a topographic map to determine types of rocks and the ages of rocks in the surrounding areas. The deposition of rocks appear to be varying in size, meaning they traveled varying distances, so the topographic view analyzed should represent an extensive area. In addition to viewing the geologic history of the surrounding area, it may has been helpful to understand where and what fault lines are nearby along with how many flash floods have impacted this area and the frequency in which the flooding took place.

Stop #2 - Titus Canyon 

Titus Canyon 

https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/galtit.html

Titus Canyon was once submerged in the tropical seas. With the rise and the fall of the water level along with occasional flooding, this area was left with multiple layers of sedimentary rock, otherwise known as superposition. It is likely these layers were once horizontal. In recent years there has been some uplifting that has caused the folds or the curved lines seen in the rocks today. In order to determine the exact cause of the folding and the age of the canyon I would use a topographical map to help determine what fault lines are nearby. I would also use a topographical map to learn about the surrounding areas to determine what kind of rocks were deposited and layered here. Given this area was submerged by the tropical seas, I would also like an opportunity to explore and investigate what types of fossils might be found in these rocks. All of this additional information would help me understand what parent rocks exist, the root cause of the folding that is evident, and also using fossils determine what kind of life existed and how old the rock layers may be. 

Stop #3 - Furnace Creek Golf Course 

                                                     Furnace Creek Golf Course

                                                https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/ftfur1.html

 During a tour of a desert, the last thing I would expect to see is a lush, green golf course! Unlike most of the landscape in Death Valley, which is dry, sandy and or rocky, this golf course looks like a picture from a mid-western state full of trees and amazing green grass! How can this be? The Furnace Creek golf course is maintained with water from an aquifer created during the Pleistocene ice ages. As spring water rises out of the rocks it is used to support such areas as this golf course. A topographical map would help illustrate how large the aquifer is and the exact location. It would be interesting to see the location and size in order to predict how long the aquifer will be able to continue to support such landscape in the middle of a desert. With the change in climate to a much drier environment in recent years,  and  the rain fall being minimal in this area, I would be curious to know if there are any geological reports on the sustainability of such a diverse beauty in the middle of Death Valley.

Week 7 - Jakubiak - Death Valley

Image courtesy of ProTrails.com

This week we're wandering around Death Valley, California, and while it's warm today (only 89 degrees), it's not overly hot yet; seems like we're coming at the right time of year!

Death Valley consists of various types of rocky terrain, with very little vegetation.  My favorite feature is the Death Valley dunes, which is a wide expanse of quartz and feldspar sand created by the weathering of rock in the mountains.

Image courtesy of https://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov

Ripples and Dunes are created when the wind blows and builds the sand into a pile.  Eventually, it will topple, and fall down the other side of the crest, creating the beautiful rippling effect you can see here.  It'd be interesting to see how far the dunes spread over the course of a few decades, getting a hold of satellite imagery would be a useful tool to document this.


I look forward to going back and visiting, but as it gets closer and closer to summer, I may just have to wait until next year!

Death Valley - Cooper Trodler

The trip through Death Valley brought the following snapshots. There are numerous limestone and 

throughout the scope seen in the below photos. The walls are made up of sedimentary layers. The layers are created by erosion from the mountain ranges above. There is quite a bit of marble located in these canyons throughout Death Valley. These canyons were formed over 700 billion years ago when it was covered by the Pacific Ocean, due to the extreme heat and pressure, it metamorphed into what is now known as Death Valley.

 https://anotherwalkinthepark.com/2016/02/11/death-valley-national-park-part-3-mosaic-canyon/

Week 3 - Running Water

The Colorado River runs through many different landscapes, along its 1,450 mile expansion. The river mostly runs through canyons and valleys. Although on a map, the river appears to meander quite a bit, the chance of a flood in most areas is very low. Much of the reason why the river does not meander much is because it mostly flows through large canyons as appose to flat land or flood planes.  The Colorado River runs through 7 different U.S. states before flowing through Tijuana and discharging into the Gulf of Mexico. Over a period of nearly 2 billion years, the Colorado River is what formed the Grand Canyon that we know today. The walls for the Grand Canyon show many different water levels over the perennial span of time.

Week 7 - Field Trip to Death Valley

At the Titus Canyon stop through Death Valley, walls formed by gray rocks are present at the western end of the canyon. These gray rocks are made of limestone and are of the Cambrian time period. These rocks began formation while the Death Valley was under tropical seas over half a billion years ago. Were any fossils discovered that might indicate the aquatic life in this valley during the time it was submerged?

At the Mosaic Canyon stop, a narrow slot canyon can be seen which consists of a smooth marble material formed by stretching and water just a few million years ago. The image below shows the direction and exact formation caused by rushing water through the canyon. 

The third stop of the field trip occurred at the Shoreline Butte location. Horizontal lines in the butte show evidence of crashing waves which occured when the butte was a small island in the sea, nearly 200,000 years ago. 

Week 6-Desert Valley

Photo courtesy of USGS.gov

After looking at the Golden Canyon one has to wonder if the flash floods that happen are the only geologic event that has helped shape this wonderful canyon? We see the boulders that dot the area but what about the smaller rocks. Maybe if we dig deeper into what minerals are present we can guesstimate at what helped this form.

Photo courtesy of USGS.gov

Looking at the gulley's and ridges from the badlands I would like to know just how big they can get to. This extreme way of diverting water that the earth has come to make is beautiful. I would gather information about the earth at the lowest point and figure out if it is the same as the top. If it is and does not contain other minerals or rocks we can conclude that maybe the gulley's are not at its deepest form.

Photo courtesy of USGS.gov

At what point did the marble start folding upward and what exactly caused the folding. We can look at the dating of the marble itself to figure out when it started to fold and looking at the area we can guess that the plates started to move the marble toward the surface when the mountains were being built.

Week 5

Himalayas

Are a beautiful mountain range that I went to visit a few weeks ago. This mountain range is a great example of a continental crust which can be seen by the folds above the Indian plate. The crust of the Himalayas is one of the thickest due to low density in the area. The margin is located between the Indian Himalayas and the Pakistan Himalayas.  The folds make the most of the structure and is still a place known for high levels of tectonic motion. The Himalayas are a make up from a thrust known as the Main Central Fault.

Chicago, Illinois Geology

I was born in Libertyville, Illinois, which is a small suburb 30 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. This area is part of the Great Plains of North America. Half of the plains, which is approx 1064 square miles, is a monotinuous plain, largely lake bottom. In the Chicago region, erosion of old drift by water, ice was common, about 20,000 years ago and earlier glacial deposits survived beneath the drift locally. The land is result of sediment over the years

http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/2010/12/the-flat-of-the-land/