Death Valley
is a desert located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America.Located near the border of California and Nevada, in the Great Basin, east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Death Valley constitutes much of Death Valley National Park and is the principal feature of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere
ReserveDeath Valley is one of the best geological examples of a basin and range configuration. It lies at the southern end of a geological trough known as Walker Lane, which runs north into Oregon. The valley is bisected by a right lateral strike slip fault system, represented by the Death Valley Fault and the Furnace Creek Fault. The eastern end of the left lateral Garlock Fault intersects the Death Valley Fault. Furnace Creek and the Amargosa River
flow through the valley but eventually disappear into the sands of the valley floor.
The depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures. The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface. Summer nights provide little relief as overnight lows may only dip into the 86 to 95 °F (30 to 35 °C) range. Moving masses of super-heated air blow through the valley creating extreme high temperatures.
| Climate data for Death Valley (Cow Creek Station) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 64.4 (18) | 71.6 (22) | 80.6 (27) | 90.9 (32.72) | 100.0 (37.78) | 109.3 (42.94) | 116.0 (46.67) | 113.8 (45.44) | 106.9 (41.61) | 92.1 (33.39) | 75.4 (24.11) | 65.9 (18.83) | 90.6 (32.56) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 40.6 (4.78) | 46.6 (8.11) | 54.3 (12.39) | 64.1 (17.83) | 72.7 (22.61) | 81.2 (27.33) | 88.4 (31.33) | 86.0 (30) | 77.4 (25.22) | 64.0 (17.78) | 49.3 (9.61) | 42.4 (5.78) | 63.9 (17.72) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.32 (8.1) | 0.20 (5.1) | 0.20 (5.1) | 0.10 (2.5) | 0.02 (0.5) | 0.10 (2.5) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0.12 (3) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0.20 (5.1) | 0.29 (7.4) | 2.00 (50.8) |
In 2005, Death Valley received four times its average annual rainfall of 1.5 inches (38 mm). As it has done before for hundreds of years, the lowest spot in the valley filled with a wide, shallow lake, but the extreme heat and aridity immediately began sucking the ephemeral lake dry.
Death Valley is home to the Timbisha tribe
of Native Americans, formerly known as the Panamint Shoshone, who have inhabited the valley for at least the past 1000 years. The Timbisha name for the valley, tümpisa, means "rock paint" and refers to the red ochre paint that can be made from a type of clay found in the valley. Some families still live in the valley at Furnace Creek. Another village was located in Grapevine Canyon 
near the present site of Scotty's Castle. It was called maahunu in the Timbisha language, the meaning of which is uncertain, although it is known that hunu means "canyon".
The valley received its English name in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. It was called Death Valley by prospectors and others who sought to cross the valley on their way to the gold fields, although only one death in the area was recorded during the Rush. During the 1850s, gold and silver were extracted in the valley. In the 1880s, borax was discovered and extracted by mule-drawn wagons.
Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed on February 11, 1933 by President Hoover, placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the monument was redesignated as Death Valley National Park
, as well as being substantially expanded to include Saline and Eureka Valleys.
No comments:
Post a Comment