Death Valley
[3] Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level.[1] It is 84.6 miles (136.2 km) east-southeast of Mount Whitney – the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).[7] Lying mostly in Inyo County, California, 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 Reserve.[9] The highest point in Death Valley National Park is Telescope Peak, in the Panamint Range, which has an elevation of 11,043 feet (3,366 m).[10] A group of European-American pioneers got lost here in the winter of 1849–1850, while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields of California, giving Death Valley its grim name.[13] It lies at the southern end of a geological trough, Walker Lane, which runs north to Oregon.The valley is a long, narrow basin that descends below sea level and is walled by high, steep mountain ranges.Moving masses of super-heated air blow through the valley, creating extremely high ambient temperatures.[19] The wettest period on record was mid-2004 to mid-2005, in which nearly 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell in total, leading to ephemeral lakes in the valley and the region and tremendous wildflower blooms.By May 2005, the valley floor had resumed its more familiar role as Badwater Basin, salt-coated salt flats.During flash floods, rainfall from the steep mountains to the west pours through narrow canyons, picking up everything from fine clay to large rocks.In spite of the overwhelming heat and sparse rainfall, Death Valley exhibits considerable biodiversity.Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed on February 11, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover, placing the area under federal protection.
Death Valley National ParkDeath Valley (disambiguation)CoordinatesEastern CaliforniaMojave DesertGreat Basin Deserthottest place on EarthBadwater BasinMount Whitneycontiguous United StatesUnited States Weather BureauFurnace Creekhighest ambient air temperature ever recordedInyo County, CaliforniaCaliforniaNevadaGreat BasinSierra NevadaMojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere ReserveAmargosa RangePanamint RangeGrapevine MountainsOwlshead MountainsTelescope PeakpioneersTimbishaPanamint ShoshoneGeology of the Death Valley areaSentinel-2satellite imagegrabentroughWalker Lanestrike slip faultDeath Valley FaultFurnace Creek FaultGarlock FaultAmargosa Riversalt pansPleistoceneLake ManlyMono LakeOwens River Valleysubtropicalhot desert climateKöppenrain shadowprevailing west-to-east windsadvectionfoehn windsGreenland RanchMitribahKuwaitephemeral lakesprecipitationLandsat 5dry lakeephemeral lakeLake Badwatersalt flatsalluvial fansflash floodsBighorn sheepred-tailed hawksdonkeysDeath Valley PupfishDarwin FallsEfflorescenceNative Americansred ocherScotty's CastleTimbisha languageCalifornia Gold Rushmule-drawn wagonsHerbert HooverPlaces of interest in the Death Valley areaDante's ViewDevils HoleHarmony Borax WorksHells GateOasis at Death ValleyNew RyanUpper and Lower Noonday CampRacetrack PlayaSailing stonesStovepipe WellsTecopaZabriskie PointChimmie Fadden Out WestThe Dawn of UnderstandingThe Air MailThe BruteThe Chinese ParrotFair WarningThe Border PatrolmanDanger Valley20 Mule TeamThe Bride Came C.O.D.Castle in the DesertAccompliceDeath Valley3 GodfathersYellow SkyDeath Valley GunfighterThe Walking HillsSurrenderThe GunfighterCattle DriveWestward the WomenCity of Bad MenEscape from Fort BravoTumbleweedWar PaintThe Law and Jake WadeOne-Eyed JacksThe RewardThe ProfessionalsStar WarsRaiders of the Lost ArkCherry 2000Six-String SamuraiDaft Punk's ElectromaThe Legend of God's GunDeath Valley SuiteFerde GroféSave Rock and Roll