The sixth Geology field trip at Santa Monica College

Geology 35, Field Geology: California.
Santa Monica College, Fall 2009

Images from the Fall 2009 field trip to

Death Valley National Park

Death valley: driving off road prohibited

Field Trip Leader: Dr. Alessandro Grippo

The Geology 35 class (Field Geology: California) at Santa Monica College went to Death Valley National Park from October 9 to 11, 2009
to explore some of the most characteristic features of the Basin and Range desert and enjoy geology in the open air.
After previous agreements with the National Park administration, which I wish to thank for their collaboration,
we camped on the outskirt of the park and roamed throughout it for the whole weekend.
Here is a small selection of images from that adventure.

A classic stop when headed north on California 14 is at Red Rock State Park
In here we took a first look at terrestrial sediments and we had a short introduction to what was waiting ahead for us.

We then entered the Panamint Valley, looking for a nice place for the night.
We had chosen an isolated area barely within the National Park boundaries, along this dead-end road.

We had enough space to choose the spot we wanted.
Some of us ready for comfortable sleeping under the starry night, some of us sleeping in the cars,
we all had a great and fun time in Death Valley.

Right after setting up camp, we drove to Panamint Springs.
We left our vehicles by the road, and started hiking to Darwin Falls.
Darwin Falls are a splendid oasis in the middle of the desert, adding a touch of green where you would not expect it.
The waterfall feeds a little pool at its feet and a small oasis
before the water all but disappears through the porous sands on the valley bottom.

The sensation of coolness is increased by the narrow walls of rocks around us
and by the formidable colors that carpet the valley floor.

On the following day we hiked Mosaic Canyon, by the Stovepipe Wells park entrance.
In here we can see some of us looking at a tectonic disturbance that
puts horizontal layers (to the left) and vertical layers (to the right) side by side.

On a smaller scale, some microfaulting visible in these layered marble
breaks the original continuity and horizontality of the layers.
The lens cap is there for scale.

At some locations, the marbles have been deeply eroded by "slurries"
(dense flows of water, mud and coarser sediments) that formed after precipitation
and that have eventually been cemented in place.
Notice the smoothness of the upper surface of the marble,
indicating a long and continuous process of abrasion and dissolution.

Later on, we hiked to the Natural Bridge.
Here we are, resting a moment at the bottom of the slot canyon, while looking at rocks high on the canyon walls.

The Natural Bridge presented itself in all its majesty
half-way through the hike, and we discussed its possible origin underneath its shadow.

Of course nobody said the trail presented no obstacles:
in here some of us are visible while climbing some rocks along the stream bed.

In the end a major wall of rocks prevented us from proceeding further.
Here are some of the people who made it to the end of the Natural Bridge hike.

A nice outcrop of shale gave us the opportunity to discuss again
how these rocks form and what kind of sedimentary environment they indicate.
Fissility of the shale is very visible in this image, where the coin is, again, for scale.

By the visitor center, where we paused a little to eat and drink,
a visitor came by hoping to get some food: a roadrunner kept us company for a few minutes
before going back to his life.

Back on the road, here is our group at the lowermost point in North America.
Yes, nobody could have been at a lower elevation than us, because here we are at -282 ft (-86 m) below sea level,
and there is no other area in North America at such low elevation.

This is Badwater, where the waters flowing through Death Valley collect and eventually evaporate,
leaving behind layers of mud and salts of various kinds,
mainly halite (table salt) but also gypsum, and borates.
The whole group is actually standing on a thick crust of table salt.

At sunset, the canyon walls acquired an intense reddish color,
and silhouettes appeared sharply at the horizons.

On Devil's Golf Course some of us think it is really cool to be there.
Well, aren't we right?

At the bottom of a small desiccated playa, mud cracks testify to the dryness of this environment.
A very nice pattern of cross-cutting relationships is evident from this image:
the human footprint at center bottom spans across the crack, so whoever walked there did so after the cracks formed.
But if you look at the coyote footprint in the middle-upper part of the image
you can clearly see that it seems split into two: the crack occurred AFTER the coyote walked there.
In order to have such a footprint, the mud must had been fresh, enough to leave behind a sharp track
but not so fresh to let the animal sink in the mud and leave behind an undefined print.

Sometimes obstacles can be confronted directly:
on the Devil's Cornfield Haley chose to jump all her way in.
These features are similar to a pillar left behind after strong winds caused deflation in a desert area:
these plants hold down soil with their roots while the surrounding areas are blown away when the wind blows.

Not far from the Devils' Cornfield is a field of Sand Dunes.
The soft profile of the dunes is here enriched by a pattern of asymmetrical, flat-topped ripples
that extends all the way to the horizon.

On the last day, at the end of the geology discussions,
sand dunes freesbee became the activity of the moment.
Under Dylan's watch, Sean is picking up the disc from the dune ridge.

The freesbee is now flying towards Ramsey, waiting at the top of the next dune.

Sean, Andrew and Dylan watch the freesbee, wondering if Ramsey will catch it.
After playing in the hot sun for a few minutes, we returned towards our vehicles and started heading home.

I wish to thank Vicki Drake and the Department of Earth Sciences at Santa Monica College,
the National Park Service administration
and all the participants to the Fall 2009 field class:
Andrew, Melissa, Judy, Ramsey, Dustin, Haley, Andrew, Andrea, Raaid, Seungkyun, Sean, Jack, Stephanie, Pamela, Dylan, and Brian.
You guys were a great class!

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