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.