Cal Poly Geology Club Death Valley Field Trip – 2004

the greatest topographic relief in the conterminous U.S. This strikingtopography is a product of Death Valley's very active tectonism. The entireregion has been pulled apart, fracturing the crust and creating large faults.Along these roughly north-south-trending faults mountains have uplifted andvalleys down-dropped, producing the distinctive alternating pattern of linearmountain ranges and valleys of the Basin and Range province.The floor of Death Valley tilts gently eastward. From here, one can see that thealluvial fans on the west side of the valley are far larger than on the east side.This difference results partly from the eastward tilting of the valley floor. Onthe west side, alluvial material spreads laterally and extends far onto the valleyfloor because it accumulates on a surface that is gently inclined away from therange; on the east side, the material becomes trapped near the mountain frontbecause it accumulates on a surface that is inclined gently towards themountains.This eastward tilting of the Black Mountains, the Panamint Range, and the floorDeath Valley typifies much of the Basin and Range Province. Through crustalextension, the region broke into a series of tilted fault blocks. In general, theseblocks tilted away from the faults along which they rose and towards the faultsalong which they sank.Make the long trek back down (north) Furnace Creek Wash to the T-intersection across from Furnace Creek Inn.95.1 (23.9) Turn left (south) on the Badwater Road.103.7 (8.6) Turn left into the one-way Artist’s Drive (STOP 9). Time permitting me willmake the 8.8 mile drive along Artist’s Drive. There are numerous stops andoverlooks.The winding, one-way, Artist’sDrive leads you up to the scarpof the Black Mountains.Artist’s Drive rises up to thetop of an alluvial fan fed by adeep canyon cut into themountain. As you make yourway up to the mountain facethe roadway will rise and dipon the undulating surface ofthe alluvial fan. The narrowroad runs high up onto the fan,with striking views of thebarren floor of Death Valley inthe distance.The face of the Black Mountains along Artist’s Drive is made up of themulticolored rock of the Artist Drive Formation. Pink, green, purple, brown,