You are entering the hottest, driest, lowest spot in North America.
Despite its forbidding image, Death Valley is a mecca for nature lovers
of all kinds. For geologists, this region is unsurpassed in beauty and
complexity. The forces that raised majestic mountain ranges and dropped
the valley floor between them are still in action today.
The story of Death Valley is dominated by its geology. Its harsh desert
climate results from a rain shadow effect created by mountains uplifted
to the west. A unique flora and fauna are adapted to its deep,
fault-dropped valleys. The extreme conditions here have attracted hardy,
adaptable, and sometimes eccentric, human inhabitants. We invite you to
share this fascinating desert environment with us. |
This site is a cooperative
endeavor of the
US Geological Survey Western Earth
Surface Processes Team
and the National Park Service.
Please share your comments and suggestions with us!
mmoreno@usgs.gov
http://www.nature.nps.gov/grd/usgsnps/deva/deva1.html
This site was updated on 6/30/00 
Other sites
Geology of Death Valley National Park
Geology Fieldnote: Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada
