[Geysers] Death Valley

[TSBryan at aol.com]

Since Lynn's latest article about the Hebgen Lake earthquake (Sput 22-6,  
December 2008) mentions the formation of Death Valley, I submit the  following:
 
Yes, the valley has, in part, formed by "dropping" along a fault (the Black  
Mountain Fault, aka Central Death Valley Fault). However, it is more due to  
regional extension that has opened a series of basin, of which Badwater Basin 
is  just one. See the two small attachment figures (one is a tif but both are 
small  in size).
 
On the pull-apart diagram, the area of Badwater Basin is indicated by the  
pale orange arrows. Unfortunately, this diagram does not indicate other  
pull-apart basins, such as Mesquite Basin, Cottonball Basin, etc. this diagram  also 
omits a number of faults that are important to the whole, highly-complex  
story.
 
The W - E line on the pull apart diagram shows the approximate line of the  
cross section. Notice that rather than being "straight" normal faults, the  
dip-slip faults in the Death Valley region flatten with depth (sometimes called  
listric faults). Also, note that the greater part of regional fault movement 
has  been strike-slip on the Southern and Northern DV Fault Zones, where the 
fault  motion might be as great as 50 miles. And yes, it is active.
 
I must also correct the fact that neither Badwater nor anyplace in DV is  the 
lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. That used to be the belief but there  
is a Lago del Carbon in Argentina that is (I think, by recollection) at -344  
feet. (Badwater is about 279 feet below sea level; North America's low points 
of  282 b.s.l are about 2 miles to the west of Badwater [and some people (but 
not  the NPS) claim those spots to actually be at -289].)
 
Finally and related to this -- I have had three people tell me their  
opinions that the car I had posted a few days ago is a Dodge, probably 1926.  Thanks!
 
Scott Bryan
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