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Crystalline Basement Rock
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This 1.7 billion year old gneiss is the oldest rock found in the Death Valley region. It was formed underground when crustal rock was changed, by intense heat and pressure. It pre-dates life on earth. Metasedimentary rock with granitic intrusions.
Precambrian > Proterozoic eon > Paleoproterozoic era > Statherian period
Crystalline Basement Rock
Metasedimentary rocks were originally sedimentary rocks which have been subsequently affected by the process of metamorphism.
Crystalline Basement Rock
"Crystalline basement rock" refers to the complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks that make up the basement layer of the Earth's crust. These rocks are generally formed at significant depths and are often the oldest rocks in a geological region. They typically consist of granites, gneisses, and schists, which are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or the intense metamorphism of pre-existing rocks.Basement rocks are crucial in geology for understanding the composition and structural foundations of continental and oceanic crusts. They are exposed at the surface in some areas due to erosion or tectonic movements, providing valuable insights into the geological history and processes of the Earth.