Death Valley Geology
Warped Mountains
Time passed and the sea began to slowly recede to the west as land was pushed up. This uplift was due to the movment occurring far beneath the Earth's surface. Scientists have discovered that the Earth's crust is composed of a series of interconnected sections, or plates. The site of Death Valley lies adjacent to the boundary separating two of these plates. As the plates slowly moved in relation to each other, compressional forces gradually folded, warped and fractured the brittle crust. This widespread rock deformation and faulting occurred throughout most of the Mesozoic Era (250-70 million years ago). Active mountain building periods alternated with quiet times when forces of erosion worked to break down the mountains that had formed.
Strata
| GLOSSARY | > erosion |
DEATH VALLEY GEOLOGY
Ancient Seas
Warped Mountains
Traveling Volcanos
Basin and Range
Erosion and Deposit
Lost Lakes
Yesterday's Volcano
Shape of the Future
Also see > Walk Through Time
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