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dsc
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Description |
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7883 |
Morning at Red Rock Canyon State Park, after a very soggy
night. Cliffs are river gravels and overbank deposits of
the Ricardo Formation, which is Miocene in age. The layers
have yielded a rich treasure trove of terrestrial mammal
fossils |
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7885 |
Basalt flows are interbedded with
the channel and overbank deposits |
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7891 |
Our next stop was Fossil Falls,
just south of Owens Lake. During the Pleistocene ice ages,
Owens Lake filled to overflowing, and a river flowed south
towards China and Searles Lakes near Ridgecrest. A basalt
flow blocked the river, and a 40 foot waterfall formed.
Over time, pebbles and sand swirling in river eddies
carved the prominent potholes. They are called Fossil
Falls because they have been dry since the last ice age,
so we were pleasantly surprised by a flowing stream in the
gorge! |
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7896 |
A land flowing with milk and honey,
and a bit of vanilla mocha latte! |
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7918 |
Fascinating color contrast.... |
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7927 |
Chasing rainstorms across the
Darwin Plateau, we came upon the Father Crowley Overlook,
hoping to see some of the basalt flows that have been used
to date the opening of the deep fault valleys of the Basin
and Range Province. Alas, the storm kept up with us, so we
had only a momentary view of the other side of the deep
gorge through a hole in the clouds... |
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7939 |
We crossed the Panamint Valley and
Townes Pass, coming at last to Stovepipe Wells, and the
access road to Mosaic Canyon. We took a close look at the
Noonday dolomite, a late Proterozoic layer that in this
area has been highly deformed into a beautiful marble.
Strange deposits cover the walls of the canyon. |
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7937 |
Detail of the marble, polished by
flashfloods and mudflows. |
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7933 |
Normal faults are nicely exposed at
several points within the canyon walls. |
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7935 |
Walking through the narrows |
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7943 |
After a day full of rain showers,
we were treated to a glorious sunset from our camp at
Furnace Creek. Thankfully, the night remained dry (an odd
statement, given the general aridity of Death Valley, but
this trip, and this year, have been exceptions to the
usual rules!). |
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