What is the topographic relief of Death Valley?
This difference in elevation is a staggering 11,331 feet (3455 m) — the greatest topographic relief in the conterminous U.S. The deep Death Valley basin is filled with sediment eroded from the surrounding mountains. The western face of Dante’s peak shows the abrupt result of Death Valley’s tectonics.
What is unique about Badwater Death Valley?
Despite this high salinity, many organisms not only survive, but thrive here. The pool is home to an endemic snail naturally found only at this location, and its rim is dotted with salt tolerant plants, including pickleweed.
Is the road to Badwater Basin paved?
Tucked away in Death Valley National Park, in California, the road to Badwater Basin is totally paved. It’s called Badwater Road (CA 178). Starting at Furnace Creek (on CA-190), the drive is 15.5 miles (24.94km) long.
What caused Badwater Basin to be below sea level?
Death Valley is the lowest point in North America. But how did the salt get there? Rain and minerals dissolved from rocks drain to lower elevations. Here, at Badwater Basin, the water forms temporary lakes after heavy storms. As the water evaporates, minerals concentrate until only the salts remain.
What plate boundary is Death Valley?
Pacific-North America plate boundary
Extension in Death Valley is usually interpreted as a combination of low-angle Basin and Range–style extension and strike slip associated with the developing Pacific-North America plate boundary in western North America, with these two tectonic regimes operating synchronously in Death Valley.
What is the geology of Death Valley?
The oldest rocks in the area that now includes Death Valley National Park are extensively metamorphosed by intense heat and pressure and are at least 1700 million years old. These rocks were intruded by a mass of granite 1400 Ma (million years ago) and later uplifted and exposed to nearly 500 million years of erosion.
Is Badwater Basin sinking?
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. Here’s the kicker, it is still sinking! Badwater Basin is located along the Southern Death Valley Fault. Normal (vertical) movement of this fault results in an uplift of the Black Mountains to the east and a dropping of the valley floor.
What is Badwater Basin known for?
Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the western hemisphere with an elevation of 85.5 m below sea level and is the best known and most visited place within Death Valley National Park. The site derives its name from the small, spring-fed pool of water that emerges along a fault line at the base of the nearby mountain.
Can you walk in Badwater Basin?
Badwater Basin can be viewed from your vehicle in the parking area. Many visitors hike out onto the salt flat. There is no designated trail, but we advise visitors to choose a path where others have already walked to minimize damage. Badwater Basin is also a nice spot for night sky viewing and photography.
Where are the salt flats in Death Valley?
The salt flats in Death Valley are located in the south end of the national park, along Badwater Road. They’re about 20 minutes south of Furnace Creek (the main park hub), so definitely don’t miss them!
Is Badwater Basin the lowest point in the world?
Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, Inyo County, California, noted as the lowest point in North America and the United States, with a depth of 282 ft (86 m) below sea level….
| Badwater Basin | |
|---|---|
| Surface elevation | −282 ft (−86 m) |
| Settlements | Badwater, California |
What landform is Death Valley?
Essentially, Death Valley is a graben, or rift valley, formed by the sinking of a tremendous expanse of rock lying between parallel uplifted, tilted-block mountain ranges to the east and west.
What is the altitude of bad water basin in Death Valley?
Death Valley’s Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. It is 84.6 miles (136.2 km) east-southeast of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).
How far is Badwater Basin from Las Vegas?
Yes, the driving distance between Las Vegas to Badwater Basin is 139 miles. It takes approximately 2h 54m to drive from Las Vegas to Badwater Basin. Rome2rio’s Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller.
Why is Death Valley a National Park?
Badwater Basin. Image Source: Supercarwaar via Wikimedia Commons.
Is Death Valley a national monument?
The company named the lookout after its general manager Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, and when Death Valley became a national monument in 1933 (and a national park in 1996), the lookout remained highly popular with tourists. In 1970, Zabriskie Point was even featured in an eponymous film about love and civil unrest.