Death Valley National Park
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2008-07-05T19:18:52Z
AlbertHerring
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{{Refimprove|date=March 2008}}
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Death Valley National Park
| iucn_category = II
| image = US_Locator_Blank.svg
| caption =
| locator_x = 29
| locator_y = 91
| location = [[California]] & [[Nevada]], [[United States|USA]]
| nearest_city = [[Pahrump, Nevada]]
| lat_degrees = 36
| lat_minutes = 14
| lat_seconds = 31
| lat_direction = N
| long_degrees = 116
| long_minutes = 49
| long_seconds = 33
| long_direction = W
| area = 3,367,627.68 acres (13,628 km²) 3,348,928.88 acres (13,553 km²) federal
| established = [[February 11]], [[1933]] (Monument)<br>[[October 31]], [[1994]] (National Park)
| visitation_num = 744,440
| visitation_year = 2006
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
}} [[Image:DeathValleyWelcomeSign.jpg|thumb|The sign at the entrance of Death Valley National Park]]
'''Death Valley National Park''' is a mostly [[arid]] [[United States National Park]] located east of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] mountain range in southern [[Inyo County, California|Inyo County]] and northern [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] in [[California]] with a small extension into southwestern [[Nye County, Nevada|Nye County]] and extreme southern [[Esmeralda County, Nevada|Esmeralda County]] in [[Nevada]]. In addition, there is also an [[exclave]] ([[Devil's Hole]]) in southern Nye County. The park covers 5219 mi² (13 518 km²), encompassing [[Saline Valley, California|Saline Valley]], a large part of [[Panamint Valley]], almost all of [[Death Valley]], and parts of several [[mountain range]]s. '''Death Valley National Monument''' was proclaimed in 1933, placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the [[U.S. National Monument|monument]] was redesignated a national park, as well as being substantially expanded to include, for example, [[Saline Valley, California|Saline]] and [[Eureka Valley, Inyo County|Eureka]] Valleys.
It is the hottest and driest of the national parks in the United States. It also contains the second-lowest in the [[Western Hemisphere]] and [[North America]]'s lowest point at [[Badwater]], which is 282 feet (85.5 m) below [[sea level]]. It is home to many species of [[plant]]s and [[animal]]s that have adapted to this harsh [[desert]] environment. Some examples include [[Creosote Bush]], [[Bighorn Sheep]], [[Coyote]], and the [[Death Valley Pupfish]], a survivor of much wetter times. Approximately 95% of the park is designated as [[U.S. Wilderness Area|wilderness]]. Death Valley National Park is visited annually
by more than 770,000 visitors whocome to enjoy its diverse geologic features, desert wildlife, historic sites, scenery, clear night skies and the solitude of the extreme desert environment.
[[Mining]] was the primary activity in the area before it was protected. The first known non-[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]s to enter Death Valley did so in the winter of 1849, thinking they would save some time by taking a shortcut to the [[gold]] fields of [[California]]. They were stuck for weeks and in the process gave the Valley its name even though only one of their group died there. Several short-lived [[boom town]]s sprung up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to exploit minor local bonanzas of gold. The only long-term profitable [[ore]] to be mined, however, was [[borax]]; a mineral used to make [[soap]] and an important industrial [[compound (chemistry)|compound]]. [[20-Mule Teams]] were famously used to transport this ore out of the Valley, helping to make it famous and the subject or set of numerous [[book]]s, [[radio]] programs, [[television]] series, and [[Film|movie]]s.
The natural environment of the area has been profoundly shaped by its geology. The oldest [[rock (geology)|rock]]s are extensively [[Metamorphism|metamorphosed]] and at least 1.7 billion years old. Ancient warm, shallow seas deposited marine sediments until rifting opened the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Additional sedimentation occurred until a [[subduction zone]] formed off the coast. This uplifted the region out of the sea and created a line of [[volcano]]es. Later the [[Crust (geology)|crust]] started to pull apart, creating the [[Basin and Range]] landform we see today. Valleys filled with sediment and, during the wet times of [[ice age]]s, with [[lake]]s, such as [[Lake Manly]].
[[Image:DevaxsectSM.svg|right|thumb|350px|A slice through the highest and lowest points in Death Valley National Park]]
==Geographic setting==
[[Image:Death Valley NP master map.png|thumb|right|Map of the park showing surrounding area and the previous smaller extent of the Park]]
Within the park there are two major valleys: Death Valley and Panamint Valley, both of which were formed within the last few million years and both bounded by north-south-trending [[mountain range]]s. These and adjacent valleys follow the general trend of [[Basin and Range]] topography with one modification: there are parallel [[strike-slip fault]]s that perpendicularly bound the central extent of Death Valley. The result of this shearing action is additional extension in the central part of Death Valley which causes a slight widening and relatively more subsidence there.
Uplift of surrounding mountain ranges and subsidence of the valley floor are both occurring. The uplift on the Black Mountains is so fast that the [[alluvial fan]]s (fan-shaped deposits at the mouth of canyons) there are relatively small and steep compared to the huge alluvial fans coming off the [[Panamint Range]]. In many places so-called "wine glass canyons" are formed along the Black Mountains front as a result. This type of canyon results from the mountain range's relatively fast uplift which does not allow the canyons enough time to cut a classic V-shape all the way down to the [[stream]] bed. Instead a V-shape ends at a slot canyon halfway down with a relatively small and steep alluvial fan on which the stream sediments collect.
[[Image:below sea map for Death Valley.png|thumb|left|Entire area in yellow is below sea level (USGS image)]]
At 282 feet (86 m) below [[sea level]], Badwater on Death Valley's floor is the second-lowest point in the [[Western Hemisphere]] (behind [[Laguna del Carbón]] in [[Argentina]]), while [[Mount Whitney]], only 85 miles (140 km) to the west, rises to 14 505 feet (4421 m). This topographic relief is the greatest elevation gradient in the [[Continental United States|contiguous United States]] and is the terminus point of the [[Great Basin]]'s southwestern drainage. Although the extreme lack of water in the Great Basin makes this distinction of little current practical use, it does mean that in wetter times the [[lake]] that once filled Death Valley ([[Lake Manly]]) was the last stop for water flowing in the region, meaning the water there was relatively saturated in dissolved materials. Thus [[Salt pan (geology)|salt pan]]s in Death Valley are among the largest in the world and are rich in [[mineral]]s, such as [[borax]] and various [[salt]]s and [[hydrate]]s. The largest salt pan in the park extends 40 miles (65 km) from the Ashford Mill Site to the Salt Creek Hills, covering some 200 mi² (500 km²) of the Valley floor (Badwater, the Devils Golf Course, and Salt Creek are all part of this feature). The second-best known [[playa]] in the park is the [[Racetrack Playa|Racetrack]], famous for its mysterious moving rocks.
[[Image:Wpdms shdrlfi020l death valley.jpg|thumb|Death Valley and environs]]
==Climate==
Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places in North America due to its lack of surface water and its low relief. On [[July 10]], [[1913]], a record 134 °F (56.7 °C) was measured at the [[Weather Bureau]]'s observation station at Greenland Ranch (now the site for the Furnace Creek Inn), which is ([[as of 2007]]) the highest temperature ever recorded on that [[continent]]. Daily summer temperatures of 120 °F (49 °C) <!--round numbers, 48.888... up to 50 intentional --> or greater are common as well as below freezing nightly temperatures in the winter.
[[Image:Death Valley,19820817,Desert,radiator water tank.jpg|thumbnail|left|Desert, radiator water tank near Grapevine]]
The [[National Weather Service]] reports that July is the hottest month, with an average high of 114.9 °F (46.1 °C). and an average low of 86.3 °F (30.2 °C). December is the coldest month, with an average high of 65.1 °F (18.4 °C) and an average low of 37.5 °F (3.1 °C). The record low at the Furnace Creek Inn is 15 °F (-9.4 °C). There are an average of 189.3 days annually with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and 138 days annually with highs of 100 °F (37.8 °C). or higher. Freezing temperatures (32 °F (0 °C) or lower) occur on an average of 11.7 days annually.
Several of the larger Death Valley springs derive their water from a regional [[aquifer]], which extends as far east as southern [[Nevada]] and [[Utah]]. Much of the water in this aquifer has been there for many thousands of years, since the [[Pleistocene]] [[ice age]]s, when [[climate]] was cooler and wetter. Today's drier climate does not provide enough precipitation to recharge the aquifer at the rate at which water is being withdrawn. [http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/deva/ftfur1.html]
The highest range in the park is the Panamint Range with [[Telescope Peak]] being its highest point at 11 049 feet (3368 m). The Death Valley region is a transitional zone in the northernmost part of the [[Mojave Desert]] and consists of five mountain ranges removed from the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Three of these are significant barriers: the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], [[Argus Range]], and the Panamint Range. Air masses tend to lose their moisture as they are forced up over mountain ranges, in what climatologists call a [[rainshadow effect]].
[[Image:Death Valley,19820817,Dante's View,Salt shoreline closeup o.jpg|thumbnail|left|Salt shoreline remodeled landscape at [[Devil's Golf Course]] from [[Dante's View]] ]]
The exaggerated rainshadow effect for the Death Valley area makes it [[North America|North America's]] driest spot, receiving about 1.7 inches (43 mm) of rainfall annually at Badwater (some years fail to register any measurable rainfall). Annual average precipitation varies from 1.90 inches (48 mm) overall below sea level to over 15 inches (380 mm) in the higher mountains that surround the Valley. When rain does arrive it often does so in intense storms that cause [[flash flood]]s which remodel the landscape and sometimes create very shallow ephemeral lakes.
Normal annual precipitation at Furnace Creek Inn is 2.33 inches (59 mm), which reported 2.59 inches (66 mm) during the month of January 1995 and a maximum 24-hour rainfall of 1.47 inch (37 mm) on [[April 15]], [[1988]]. Four inches (10 cm) of snow fell at the popular resort in January 1949 and snow flurries were reported as recently as [[January 5]], [[1974]].
The hot, dry climate makes it difficult for [[soil]] to form. [[Mass wasting]], the down-slope movement of loose rock, is therefore the dominant erosive force in mountainous area, resulting in "skeletonized" ranges (literally, mountains with very little soil on them). [[Sand dune]]s in the park, while famous, are not nearly as numerous as their fame or dryness of the area may suggest. One of the main dune fields is near Stovepipe Wells in the north-central part of the Valley and is primarily made of [[quartz]] sand. Another dune field is just 10 miles (16 km) to the north but is instead mostly composed of [[travertine]] sand. Yet another dune field is near the seldom-visited Ibex Hill in the southernmost part of the park, just south of Saratoga Springs (a marshland). Prevailing winds in the winter come from the north, and prevailing winds in the summer come from the south. Thus the overall position of the dune fields remain more or less fixed. There are more than 5000 mountains in Death Valley.
:''See also: [[Places of interest in the Death Valley area]]''
==Human history==
===Early inhabitants and passers-through===
[[Image:Petroglyphs2-above Mesquite Springs-800px.JPG|thumb|[[Petroglyph]]s above Mesquite Springs by the Mesquite Flat People.]]
Four known [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] cultures have lived in the area during the last 10 000 years or so. The first known group, the [[Nevares Spring People]], were [[hunters and gatherers]] who arrived in the area perhaps 9000 years ago (7000 BCE) when [[lake]]s were still in Death Valley and neighboring Panamint Valley—remnants of the once huge lakes [[Lake Manly|Manly]] and [[Lake Panamint|Panamint]]. A much milder [[climate]] persisted at that time, and large [[game animal]]s were still plentiful. By five thousand years ago (3000 BCE) the culturally similar [[Mesquite Flat People]] displaced the Nevares Spring People. Around 2000 years ago (start of the [[common era]]) the [[Saratoga Spring People]] moved into the area, which by then was probably already a hot, dry [[desert]] (the last known lake to exist in Death Valley likely dried up a thousand years before). This culture was more advanced at hunting and gathering and was skillful at handcrafts. They also left mysterious stone patterns in the Valley.
A thousand years later the nomadic [[Timbisha]] (formerly called "Shoshone" and also known as "Panamint" or "Koso") moved into the area and hunted game and gathered [[mesquite]] beans along with [[pinyon pine]] nuts. Because of the wide altitude differential between the valley bottom and the mountain ridges, especially on the west, the Timbisha practiced a vertical migration pattern. Their winter camps were located near water sources in the valley bottoms. As the spring and summer progressed, grasses and other plant food sources ripened at progressively higher altitudes as the weather warmed. November found them at the very top of the mountain ridges where they harvested pine nuts before moving back to the valley bottom for winter. Several families of Timbisha still live within the Park at [[Furnace Creek, California|Furnace Creek]] (Timbisha is the Native name of the village). The former village of Maahunu located near [[Scotty's Castle]] has been abandoned although many of the baskets on display at the Castle were made by the Timbisha, who worked there as laborers and housekeepers before the National Park Service took over its care.
The [[California Gold Rush]] brought the first Europeans known to visit the immediate area. In December 1849 two groups of [[California Gold Country]]-bound White travelers with perhaps 100 wagons total stumbled into Death Valley after getting lost on what they thought was a shortcut off the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]. Called the [[Death Valley '49ers|Bennett-Arcane Party]], they were unable to find a pass out of the valley for weeks and were forced to eat several of their [[oxen]] to survive but were able to find fresh water at the various springs in the area. They used the wood of their wagons to cook the meat and make jerky. The place where they did this is today referred to as "Burned Wagons Camp" and is located near the sand dunes.
After abandoning their wagons they eventually were able to hike out of the valley through the rugged [[Wingate Pass]]. Just after leaving the valley one of the women in the group turned and said, "Goodbye Death Valley," giving the valley they endured its name (in fact only one person of the group died in Death Valley, an elderly man named Culverwell, who was half dead already when he entered the Valley). Included in the party was [[William L. Manly|William Lewis Manly]] whose autobiographical book ''[[Death Valley in '49]]'' detailed this trek and greatly popularized the area (geologists later named the prehistoric [[lake]] that once filled the valley after him).
===Boom and bust===
[[Image:20 Mule Team in Death Valley.jpg|thumb|20 Mule Team in Death Valley]]
The ores that are most famously associated with the area were also the easiest to collect (and most profitable): evaporite deposits such as salts, [[borate]], and [[talc]]. Borax was found by Rosie and Aaron Winters near [[Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort|Furnace Creek Ranch]] (then called Greenland) in 1881. Later that same year the [[Eagle Borax Works]] became Death Valley's first commercial borax operation. [[William Tell Coleman]] built the [[Harmony Borax Works]] plant and began to process ore in late 1883 or early 1884 until 1888. This mining and smelting company produced borax to make [[soap]] and for industrial uses. The end product was shipped out of the valley 165 miles (265 km) to the [[Mojave, California|Mojave]] railhead in 10-ton-capacity wagons pulled by "[[twenty mule team]]s" that were actually teams of 18 mules and 2 horses each. The teams averaged two miles (3 km) an hour and required about 30 days to complete a round trip. The trade name [[Twenty-Mule-Team Borax|''20-Mule Team Borax'']] was established by [[Francis Marion Smith]]'s [[Pacific Coast Borax Company]] after Smith acquired Coleman's borax holdings in 1890. A very memorable advertising campaign used the wagon's image to promote the [[Boraxo]] brand of granular hand soap and the [[Death Valley Days]] radio and television programs. Mining of the ore continued after the collapse of Coleman's empire, and by the 1920s the area was the world's number one source of borax. Some 6 to 4 million years old, the Furnace Creek Formation is the primary source of borate minerals gathered from Death Valley's playas (See [[Zabriskie Point]] for more information).
[[Image:Skidoo in 1906.jpg|thumb|left|Skidoo in 1906]]
Later visitors stayed to prospect for and [[mining|mine]] deposits of [[copper]], [[gold]], [[lead]], and [[silver]]. These sporadic mining ventures were hampered by their remote location and the harsh desert environment. In December 1903, two men from Ballarat were prospecting for silver. One was an out of work [[Ireland|Irish]] miner named Jack Keane and the other was a one-eyed Basque butcher named Domingo Etcharren. Keane, quite by accident, discovered an immense ledge of free-milling gold by the duo's work site and named the claim the [[Keane Wonder Mine]]. This started a minor and short-lived [[gold rush]] into the area. The Keane Wonder Mine along with mines at [[Rhyolite, Nevada|Rhyolite]], [[Skidoo, California|Skidoo]] and [[Harrisburg, California|Harrisburg]] were the only ones to extract enough metal ore to make them worthwhile. Outright shams such as [[Leadville, California|Leadville]] also occurred, but most ventures quickly ended after a short series of prospecting mines failed to yield evidence of significant ore (these mines now dot the entire area and are a significant hazard to anyone who enters them). The boom towns which sprang up around these mines flourished during the first decade of the 20th century but soon slowed down after the [[Panic of 1907]].
===Early tourism===
[[Image:Scotty's Castle under construction.JPG|thumb|Scotty's Castle under construction]]
The first documented tourist facilities in Death Valley were a set of tent houses built in the 1920s where Stovepipe Wells is now located. People flocked to resorts built around natural springs thought to have curative and restorative properties. In 1927, Pacific Coast Borax turned its Furnace Creek Ranch crew quarters into a resort, creating the [[The Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort|Furnace Creek Inn]] and resort. The spring at Furnace Creek was harnessed to develop the resort, and as the water was diverted, the surrounding [[marsh]]es and [[wetland]]s started to shrink.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/deva/ftfur1.html|title=Furnace Creek: Focus on Water|publisher=USGS|accessdate=2007-01-04}}</ref>
Soon the Valley was a popular winter destination. Other facilities started off as private getaways but were later opened to the public. Most notable among these was Death Valley Ranch, better known as [[Scotty's Castle]]. This large ranch home built in the [[Spanish Revival]] style became a hotel in the late 1930s and, largely due to the fame of [[Death Valley Scotty]], a tourist attraction. Death Valley Scotty, whose real name was Walter Scott, was a gold miner who pretended to be owner of "his castle," which he claimed to have built with profits from his gold mine. Neither claim was true, but the real owner, [[Chicago]] millionaire [[Albert Mussey Johnson]], encouraged the myth. When asked by reporters what his connection was to Walter Scott's castle, Johnson replied that he was Mr. Scott's banker.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/scotty3.htm Scotty's Castle - Behind the Scenes Continues], NPS, Retrieved 4 January 2007</ref>
===Protection and later history===
[[Image:CCC boys in Death Valley.jpg|thumb|left|Civilian Conservation Corps workers in Death Valley]]
President [[Herbert Hoover]] proclaimed a [[U.S. National Monument|national monument]] in and around Death Valley on [[February 11]], [[1933]], setting aside almost 2 million acres (8,000 km²) of southeastern [[California]] and small parts of westernmost [[Nevada]]. Twelve companies worked in Death Valley using [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] workers during the [[Great Depression]] and into the early 1940s. They built barracks, graded 500 miles (800 km) of roads, installed water and [[telephone]] lines, and erected a total of 76 buildings. Trails in the Panamint Range were built to points of scenic interest, and an [[adobe]] village, laundry and trading post were constructed for [[Shoshone]] Indians. Five campgrounds, restrooms, an [[fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]] landing field and [[picnic]] facilities were also built.
Creation of the monument resulted in a temporary closing of the lands to prospecting and mining. However, by prior agreement, Death Valley was quickly reopened to mining by [[Congress of the United States|Congressional]] action in June of the same year. As improvements in mining technology allowed lower grades of ore to be processed and new heavy equipment allowed greater amounts of rock to be moved, mining in Death Valley changed. Gone were the days of the "single-blanket, jackass prospector" long associated with the romantic west. [[Open-pit mine|Open pit]] and [[strip mine]]s scarred the landscape as internationally owned mining corporations bought claims in highly visible locations of the national monument. The public outcry that ensued led to greater protection for all national park and monument areas in the [[United States]].
[[Image:Mine at Leadfield.JPG|thumb|Inside an abandoned mine at Leadfield]]
Congress passed the [[Mining in the Parks Act]] in 1976 which closed Death Valley National Monument to the filing of new mining claims, banned open-pit mining and required the [[National Park Service]] to examine the validity of tens of thousands of pre-1976 mining claims. Mining was allowed to resume on a limited basis in 1980 with stricter environmental standards. The park's Resources Management Division monitors mining within park boundaries and continues to review the status of 125 unpatented mining claims and 19 patented claim groups, while insuring that federal guidelines are followed and the park's resources are being protected. [[As of 2003]], the only active mining operation in Death Valley National Park is the [[Billie Mine]], an underground borax mine located along the road to Dante's View.
Death Valley National Monument was designated a [[biosphere reserve]] in 1984. On [[October 31]], [[1994]], the Monument was expanded 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²) and redesignated a [[national park]] by passage of the [[Desert Protection Act]]. This made it the largest national park in the [[contiguous United States]].
Many of the larger cities and towns within the boundary of the regional [[ground water]] flow system that the park and its plants and animals rely upon are experiencing some of the fastest growth rates of any place in the [[United States]]. Notable examples within a {{convert|100|mi|km|sing=on}} radius of Death Valley National Park include [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] and [[Pahrump, Nevada]]. In the case of Las Vegas, the local Chamber of Commerce estimates that 6,000 people are moving to the city every month. Between 1985 and 1995, the population of the Las Vegas Valley increased from 550,700 to 1,138,800.<ref>[http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/deva/ftfur1.html Death Valley geology field trip], USGS, Retrieved 4 January 2007</ref>
===Telephone history===
[[Image:Death Valley,19820817,Desert,telephon box.jpg|thumb|100px|A desert telephone box between Junction and Furnace Creek near the crossroad for Dante's View]]
While the area has modern telephone service today, the park is a rural area.
Before the 1980s, a variety of telephone technologies of different eras connected communities within the park. The area was within the Pacific Telephone area of the former Bell System. An electromechanical step-by-step [[central office]] at ''Furnace Creek'' switched calls for dial telephones in the resort and Visitor Center area. At the time, service was constrained to rotary dial only. Coin service was provided and included dialtone-first 9-1-1 service when that rolled out.
A 454 MHz (Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells) / 459 MHz (reverse direction) full-duplex Rural Radio Telephone Service link went from ''Furnace Creek [[central office|Central Office]]'' to Stovepipe Wells. The channel pairs were shared with Improved Mobile Telephone Service, which was not offered on UHF in Death Valley. The link used single-frequency (SF) signaling. Subscribers at Stovepipe Wells used non-dial phones, (manual service). To place a call, they would just go off-hook and wait for the operator. To reach Stovepipe Wells from anyplace in North America, callers would dial "0" for the operator and ask for Stovepipe Wells California Toll Station Number... (and the single-digit number). Although Death Valley was in 619 area code at the time, the operator routing for Stovepipe Wells was through Los Angeles: KP 213+181 ST. The caller's local toll operator would have to call an operator in Los Angeles, who would manually set up the call.
Death Valley Junction was also on manual service. A multi-circuit open wire ran from Furnace Creek Central Office to Death Valley Junction. An unusual, non-dial 1A1 Coin Collector was installed at the Amargosa Hotel. Its bright red instruction card said, "Do Not Deposit Coins," as there was no way to send coin relay commands (e.g. coin return/coin collect) over the manual circuit.
==Geologic history==
{{main|Geology of the Death Valley area}}
[[Image:Death and Panamint valleys from space.JPG|thumb|250px|The Death and Panamint valleys area from space. The elliptical depression to the left is the Searles Lake basin, the smaller linear valley is Panamint Valley and the larger one is Death Valley. The mountain range between Death and Panamint valleys is the Panamint Range, and the Black Mountains bound the other side of Death Valley. (NASA image)]]
The park has a diverse and complex geologic history. Since its formation, the area that comprises the park has experienced at least four major periods of extensive [[volcanism]], three or four periods of major [[sedimentation]], and several intervals of major [[plate tectonics|tectonic]] deformation where the crust has been reshaped. Two periods of [[glaciation]] (a series of [[ice age]]s) have also had its effects on the area, although no [[glacier]]s ever existed in the ranges now in the park.
Little is known about the history of the oldest exposed [[rock (geology)|rock]]s in the area due to extensive [[metamorphism]] (alteration of rock by heat and pressure). [[Radiometric dating]] gives an age of 1700 million years for the metamorphism (during the [[Proterozoic]]: See bottom of the [[:image:Geologic events in Death Valley.png|geologic timeline]]). 1400 million years ago a mass of [[granite]] now in the Panamint Range intruded this complex. Uplift later exposed these rocks to nearly 500 million years of erosion.
On these basement rocks was deposited the sedimentary [[formation (geology)|formation]] of the [[Pahrump Group]] during the time span lasting from 1200 million to 600 million years ago with a total thickness reaching nearly 9200 feet
(2800 meters). This occurred after uplift-associated erosion removed whatever rocks covered the Proteozoic-aged rocks. The Pahrump is composed of arkose [[conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] (quartz clasts in a concrete-like matrix) and [[mud stone]] in its lower part, followed by [[dolomite]] from [[carbonate]] banks topped by algal mats in [[stromatolite]]s, and finishing with basin-filling sediment derived from the above including possibly [[glacial till]] from the [[Snowball Earth]] glaciation. The very youngest rocks in the Pahrump Group are from [[basalt]]ic lava flows.
A rift opened and subsequently flooded the region as part of the breakup of the [[supercontinent]] [[Rodinia]] in the [[Neoproterozoic]] (by about 755 million years ago) and the creation of the [[Pacific Ocean]]. A shoreline similar to the present [[Atlantic Ocean]] margin of the [[United States]] lay to the east. An [[algal mat]]-covered carbonate bank was deposited (this is now the Noonday Dolomite). Subsidence of the region occurred as the [[continental crust]] thinned and the newly formed Pacific widened, forming the Ibex Formation. An angular [[unconformity]] (an uneven gap in the geologic record) followed.
A true [[ocean basin]] developed to the west, breaking all the earlier formations along a steep front. A wedge of clastic sediment then started to accumulate at the base of the two underwater precipices, starting the formation of opposing [[continental shelf]]s. Three formations developed from sediment that accumulated on the wedge. The region's first known [[fossil]]s of complex life are found in the resulting formations. Notable among these are the [[Ediacaran|Ediacara fauna]] and [[trilobite]]s (see [[Cambrian Explosion]]).
[[Image:Death Valley basin cross section.png|thumb|300px|left|The deep Death Valley basin is filled with sediment (light yellow) eroded from the surrounding mountains. Black lines show some of the major faults that created the valley.]]
The sandy mudflats gave way about 550 million years ago to a carbonate platform (similar to the one around the present-day [[Bahama]]s), which lasted for the next 300 million years of [[Paleozoic]] time (refer to the middle of the [[:image:Geologic events in Death Valley.png|timescale image]]). Death Valley's position was then within ten or twenty degrees of the Paleozoic [[equator]]. Thick beds of carbonate-rich sediments were periodically interrupted by periods of emergence. Although details of geography varied during this immense interval of time, a north-northeasterly trending coastline generally ran from [[Arizona]] up through [[Utah]]. All told the resulting eight formations and one group are 20,000 feet (6 km) thick and underlay much of Cottonwood, Funeral, Grapevine, and Panamint ranges.
In the early to mid [[Mesozoic]] the western edge of the North American continent was pushed against the oceanic plate under the Pacific Ocean, creating a [[subduction zone]] (place where heavier crust slides below lighter crust; see just above the top half of the [[:image:Geologic events in Death Valley.png|timescale image]]).
[[Image:Death Valley,19820818,Ubehebe Crater up.jpg|thumbnail|left|Last erupting volcanoes, [[Ubehebe Crater]] ]] Erupting volcanoes and uplifting mountains were created as a result, and the coastline was pushed over 200 miles (over 300 km) to the west. The [[Sierran Arc]] started to form to the northwest from heat and pressure generated from subduction, and compressive forces caused [[thrust fault]]s to develop.
A long period of uplift and erosion was concurrent with and followed the above events, creating a major unconformity (a large gap in the geologic record). Sediments worn off the Death Valley region were carried both east and west by wind and water. No Jurassic- to [[Eocene]]-aged sedimentary formations exist in the area except for some possibly Jurassic-age [[volcanic rock]]s (See the top of the [[:image:Geologic events in Death Valley.png|timescale image]]).
[[Image:Lake Manly system.png|frame|The Lake Manly lake system as it might have looked during its last maximum extent 22,000 years ago. (USGS image)]]
Erosion over many millions of years created a relatively featureless plain. 35 million years ago sluggish streams migrated laterally over its surface. Several other similar formations were also laid down.
[[Basin and Range]]-associated stretching of the crust started around 16 million years ago and had spread to the Death and Panamint valleys area by 3 million years ago (the region is still spreading), creating those valleys by 2 million years before the present. Before this, rocks now in the Panamint Range were on top of rocks that would become the Black Mountains and the Cottonwood Mountains. Lateral and vertical transport of these blocks was accomplished by movement on normal [[fault (geology)|fault]]s. Right-lateral movement along strike-slip faults that run parallel to and at the base of the ranges also helped to develop the area. Torsional forces, probably associated with northwesterly movement of the [[Pacific Plate]] along the [[San Andreas Fault]] (west of the region), is responsible for the lateral movement.
Igneous activity associated with this stretching occurred from 12 million to 4 million years ago. Sedimentation is concentrated in valleys (basins) from material eroded from adjacent ranges. The amount of sediment deposited has roughly kept up with this subsidence, resulting in retention of more or less the same valley floor elevation over time.
[[Image: Amargosa.jpg |300px|right|thumb|During very wet periods, the Amargosa River can flow at the surface, as it did in Death Valley during the wet winter of 2005.]] [[Pleistocene]] ice ages started 2 million years ago, and melt from alpine [[glacier]]s on the nearby [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada Mountains]] fed a series of lakes that filled Death and Panamint valleys and surrounding basins (see the top of the [[:image:Geologic events in Death Valley.png|timescale image]]). The lake that filled Death Valley was the last of a chain of lakes fed by the [[Amargosa River|Amargosa]] and [[Mojave River]]s, and possibly also the [[Owens River]]. 10,500 years ago the large lake that covered much of Death Valley's floor, which geologists call [[Lake Manly]], started to dry-up. [[Saltpan]]s and playas were created as ice age glaciers retreated, thus drastically reducing the lakes' water source. Only faint shorelines are left.
==Biology==
[[Image:Zebra tail lizard.jpg|thumb|A [[Chuckwalla]] on Racetrack Playa]]
[[habitat (ecology)|Habitat]] varies from saltpan 282 feet (86 m) below sea level to the sub-alpine conditions found on the summit of Telescope Peak, which rises to 11,049 feet (3368 m). Vegetation zones include [[Creosote Bush]], [[Salt bush|Desert Holly]], and [[mesquite]] at the lower elevations and [[Sagebrush|sage]] up through [[shadscale]], [[blackbrush]], [[Joshua Tree]], [[Piñon pine|pinyon]]-[[juniper]], to [[Limber Pine]] and [[Great Basin Bristlecone Pine|Bristlecone Pine]] woodlands.
The saltpan is devoid of vegetation, and the rest of the valley floor and lower slopes have sparse cover, yet where water is available, an abundance of vegetation is usually present.
[[Image:Sphinx moth on rock nettle at Mosaic Canyon.jpg|thumb|[[Sphinx Moth]] on [[Rock Nettle]] in Mosaic Canyon]]
These zones and the adjacent desert support a variety of wildlife [[species]], including 51 species of native [[mammal]]s, 307 species of [[bird]]s, 36 species of [[reptile]]s, three species of [[amphibia]]ns, and two species of native [[fish]].
[[Image:California Death Valley Coyote.jpg|thumb|[[Coyote]] near Titus Canyon]]
Small mammals are more numerous than large mammals, such as [[Bighorn Sheep]], [[Coyote]]s, [[Bobcat]]s, [[Kit Fox]]es, [[Cougar]]s, and [[Mule Deer]]. Mule Deer are present in the pinyon/juniper associations of the Grapevine, Cottonwood, and Panamint ranges. Bighorn Sheep are a rare species of [[mountain sheep]] that exist in isolated bands in the Sierra and in Death Valley. These are highly adaptable animals and can eat almost any plant. They have no known predators, but [[human]]s and [[Donkey|burro]]s compete for [[habitat (ecology)|habitat]].
[[Image:Death Valley Pupfish spawning in Salt Creek.jpg|thumb|[[Death Valley Pupfish]] spawning in Salt Creek]]
The ancestors of the [[Death Valley Pupfish]] swam to the area from the [[Colorado River]] via a long since dried-up system of rivers and lakes (see [[Lake Manly]]). They now live in two separate populations: one in Salt Creek and another in Cottonwood Marsh.
Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places in [[North America]], yet it is home to over 1,040 species of [[plant]]s, and 23 species are endemic—found nowhere else in the world. Adaptation to the dry environment is key. For example, creosote bush and mesquite have tap-[[root]] systems that can extend 50 feet (15 m) down in order to take advantage of a year-round supply of [[ground water]]. The diversity of Death Valley's plant communities results partly from the region's location in a transition zone between the [[Mojave Desert]], the [[Great Basin|Great Basin Desert]] and the [[Sonoran Desert]]. This location, combined with the great relief found within the Park, supports vegetation typical of three biotic [[life zone]]s:
*the lower Sonoran,
*the Canadian, and the
*Arctic/Alpine in portions of the Panamint Range.
Based on the Munz and Keck (1968) classifications, seven plant communities can be categorized within these life zones, each characterized by dominant vegetation and representative of three vegetation types: scrub, desert woodland, and coniferous forest. Microhabitats further subdivide some communities into zones, especially on the valley floor.
Unlike many locations across the Mojave Desert, many of the water-dependent Death Valley habitats possess a diversity of plant and animal species that are not found anywhere else in the world. The existence of these species is due largely to a unique geologic history and the process of [[evolution]] that has progressed in habitats that have been isolated from one another since the [[Pleistocene]] epoch.
==Timbisha place names within the Park==
Timbisha, from ''tümpisa'', "rock paint", refers to both the valley and the [[Furnace Creek, California|village]] located at the mouth of Furnace Creek. It refers to rich sources of [[red ochre]] paint in the valley.
[[Ubehebe Crater]], possibly from ''hüüppi pitsi'', "old woman's breast". The Timbisha call it ''tümpingwosa'', "rock basket".
[[Wahguyhe Peak]], from the Timbisha name ''waakko'i'', "pinyon pine summit". The Timbisha term refers to the entire [[Grapevine Range]].
[[Hanaupah Canyon]], from the Timbisha name ''Hunuppaa'', "Canyon Springs".
(see [[Timbisha language]])
==Activities==
[[Image:Deathvalleywildflowers.jpg|thumb|Viewing valley [[wildflowers]] in bloom]]
[[Image:Death valley flowers 1.jpg|thumb|[[Wildflowers]] in Death Valley]]
Sightseeing by personal [[automobile]], [[four-wheel drive]], [[bicycle]], [[mountain bicycle|mountain bike]] (established roadways only), and [[hiking]] is available (see [[Places of interest in the Death Valley area]] for summaries about major attractions). Ranger-led Interpretive Programs are held from November through April. A costumed living history tour of the historic Death Valley Scotty's Castle is conducted for a fee.
[[California State Route 190|State Route 190]], the Badwater Road, The Scotty's Castle Road, and paved roads to Dante's View and Wildrose provide access to the major scenic viewpoints and historic points of interest. More than 350 miles (560 km) of unpaved and four-wheel drive roads provide access to wilderness hiking, camping, and historical sites. All vehicles must be licensed and "street legal".
There are hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties, but most backcountry areas are accessible only by cross-country hiking. There are literally thousands of hiking possibilities. The normal season for visiting the park is from [[October 15]] to [[May 15]] due to summer extremes in temperature.
The Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort is a private resort owned and operated by [[Xanterra Parks & Resorts]]. The resort is comprised of two separate and distinct hotels, the Furnace Creek Inn, is a four star historic hotel. The Furnace Creek Ranch is a three star ranch style property reminiscent of the mining and prospecting days. Xanterra also operates the [[Stovepipe Wells, California|Stovepipe Wells Village]] motel, located {{convert|25|mi|km}} north of Furnace Creek. The Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch and the Stovepipe Wells Village are the only three inns located inside the Death Valley proper. There are a few motels near various entrances to the park, in [[Shoshone, California|Shoshone]], [[Death Valley Junction]], and [[Panamint Springs]].
[[Image:surfing Star Dune.JPG|thumb|left|A tourist sliding down Star Dune in the Mesquite Flat Dune field.]]
There are 10 different designated campgrounds within the park and overnight backcountry camping permits are available at the Visitor Center. [[Scotty's Castle]] is also a popular tourist destination.
The visitor center is located in the Furnace Creek resort area on [[State Route 190 (California)|State Route 190]]. A 12-minute-long introductory slide program is shown every 30 minutes. During the winter season, November through April, rangers present a wide variety of walks, talks, and slide presentations about Death Valley cultural and natural history. The visitor center has displays dealing with the [[geology]], [[climate]], [[wildlife]] and natural history of the park. There are also specific sections dealing with the human history and pioneer experience. There is a fully staffed information desk with information on all aspects of the park and its operation. The [[Death Valley Natural History Association]] maintains a well-stocked book sale outlet specifically geared towards the natural and cultural history of the park.
Death Valley National Park has the darkest night sky of all U.S. National Parks and one of the darkest in the United States, so it is a popular location for stargazing. Despite its remote location, air quality and night visibility are threatened by civilization. In particular light pollution is introduced by nearby [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]].[http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/lightscape.htm]
[[Image:Deathvalleysky nps edit.jpg|thumb|none|600px|360° panorama of [[Racetrack Playa]] at night. The [[Milky Way]] is visible as an arc in the center.]]
==Other available activities==
*[[Backpacking (wilderness)|Backpacking]]
*[[Cycling]]
*[[Birdwatching]]
*[[Camping]]
*[[Hiking]]
*[[Horseback riding]]
*[[Interpretive program]]s
*[[Amateur astronomy]]
*[[Swimming]]
==See also==
{{Commons|Death Valley|Death Valley}}
*[[Places of interest in the Death Valley area]]
*[[Geology of the Death Valley area]]
*[[List of nationally protected areas of the United States]]
*[[Scotty's Castle]]
==References==
[[Image:Thumb-Unknown yellow flower at the mouth of Titus Canyon.JPG|thumb|Golden Evening Primrose (''Camissonia brevipes'') at the mouth of Titus Canyon]]
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
*''Geology of National Parks: Fifth Edition'', Ann G. Harris, Esther Tuttle, Sherwood D., Tuttle (Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing; 1997) ISBN 0-7872-5353-7
*''Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley'', Sharp, Glazner (Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula; 1997) ISBN 0-87842-362-1
*''Geology of U.S. Parklands: Fifth Edition'', Eugene P. Kiver and David V. Harris (Jonh Wiley & Sons; New York; 1999) ISBN 0-471-33218-6
*National Park Service (some adapted public domain text) [http://www.nps.gov/deva/pphtml/animals.html], [http://www.nps.gov/deva/pphtml/plants.html],[http://www.nps.gov/deva/pphtml/planyourvisit.html], [http://www.nps.gov/deva/pphtml/facilities.html]
{{Refend}}
==External links==
* Official site: [http://www.nps.gov/deva/ Death Valley National Park]
* {{Wikitravel}}
* [http://www.deathvalley.com/dvtalk/dvtalk.shtml Death Valley online forum]
{{Death Valley}}
{{Protected Areas of Nevada}}
{{Protected Areas of California}}
{{National parks of the United States}}
[[Category:Death Valley| ]]
[[Category:National parks in Nevada]]
[[Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:1994 establishments]]
[[Category:Hot springs of California]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps]]
[[Category:National parks in California]]
[[Category:Southern California]]
[[Category:San Bernardino County, California]]
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[[es:Parque nacional del Valle de la Muerte]]
[[fa:پارک ملی دث ولی]]
[[fr:Parc national de la Vallée de la mort]]
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[[vi:Vườn quốc gia Death Valley]]
[[zh:死亡谷國家公園]]