In 1852 a survey was made of the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert. The Old Spanish Trail # had become a wagon road bringing thousands of pioneers to the west and developed as a supply route between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The survey was as accurate as any at that time and followed the trail from near the top of the Cajon Pass to a point where the trail leaves the Mojave River near Fishponds. The trail to Salt Lake continues north as we know it, but the river flowing east on this map bears southeast and empties into the Colorado River. At the time it was thought the Mojave (spelled Mohahve on the map) River followed this course. It did not. There was no Mojave Road in 1852 and not many Americans had traversed that portion of the desert. As we now know the Mojave River cuts through Afton Canyon and then disappears into the sink of the Mojave before it reaches Soda Lake.
Dublin Gulch in Shoshone, California, is a rich historical site filled with the remains of unique cave dwellings. In the early 1900s, miners and other early settlers dug the caves into soft volcanic ash cliffs. The makeshift shelters protected them against harsh desert weather conditions and extreme temperatures.
These caves were the dwelling place for miners in nearby mines during the early 20th century. Over a certain period, it did take on a kind of community presence. Some of the dwellings even had windows, doors, and chimneys added to them, making them rather homely. Today, Dublin Gulch is a quirky historic site where, among other things, one can see the cave homes and feel what life in the desert must have been like over a century ago.
Dublin Gulch is situated near the small town of Shoshone, one of the important points that both travelers and miners had to pass through in the early 1900s. It lies close to Death Valley and several mining areas. A small piece of history, it offers a glimpse into the rugged, resourceful lives that were lived early on.
Playa formation – “A playa is a dry, vegetation-free, flat area at the lowest part of an undrained desert basin. It is a location where ephemeral lakes form during wet periods, and is underlain by stratified clay, silt, and sand, and commonly, soluble salts. Playas occur in intermountain basins throughout the arid southwestern United States. Although playas may appear as featureless plains, they are rich in features and characteristics that can reveal information about climates, past and present. “
Rand Schist of Rand Mountains, Schistose rocks of Rand Mountains described briefly ยทby Hess (1910, p.28-29, 46) and by Hershey (1902a, p. 273); named, described, and mapped as Rand Schist by Hulin ( 1925,p. 23-31, pl. 1), and officially adopted for use in this report.
Rand Schist folded into anticlinal arch plunging gently westward as indicated by foliation attitudes (figs. 3, 4). On north, schist overlain by gneissic rocks (Johannesburg Gneiss of Hulin), separated by possible fault or thin zone of cataclastic(?) transitional rock; on south and near Randsburg, schist intruded by quartz monzonite; extends unknown distance westward under ยทalluviated valley, possibly to Garlock fault. Possibly 10,000 feet of schist exposed; lithology identical to that of Pelona Schist of Sierra Pelona and of Tehachapi Mountains; gray schist, predominating over green schist, contains occasional pods of fibrous actinolite schist; thin layers of quartzite and of marble, mostly in southern and western exposures. In exposures northeast of Johannesburg, albite content of schist increases to 75 percent.
Type locality of Rand Schist designated as generally north-dipping section in Rand Mountains (fig. 4), from quartz monzonite intrusion just south of Randsburg northward to contact with overlying(~) gneiss about 3 miles north of Randsburg.
From;
Areal Geology of the Western Mojave Desert California By THOMAS W. DIBBLEE, ]R. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 522 – 1967
Afton Canyon is a scenic and geologically interesting area located in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, USA. It is often called the “Grand Canyon of the Mojave” due to its impressive and rugged landscapes. One of the notable features of Afton Canyon is its association with the Mojave River.
The Mojave River runs through Afton Canyon, creating a unique riparian (riverbank) environment amid the desert. The river, although intermittent in some sections, has carved a deep and narrow canyon through the surrounding sedimentary rocks, exposing colorful layers of sediment and providing a habitat for various plant and animal species.
Afton Canyon is part of the Mojave National Preserve, a unit of the National Park Service. The area is popular for outdoor activities such as hiking, bird watching, and camping. The canyon also features a historic railroad route, including a section known as the “Afton Canyon Natural Area,” which showcases the old railway trestle that spans the Mojave River.
The geology of Afton Canyon is noteworthy, as it exposes layers of sedimentary rocks, including sandstone and mudstone, which tell a story of the region’s geological history. The canyon’s formation is attributed to the erosive power of the Mojave River over time.
Visitors to Afton Canyon can explore its scenic beauty, enjoy recreational activities, and learn about the unique geological and natural features that make this area a special part of the Mojave Desert.
California’s geomorphic provinces are naturally defined geologic regions that … Earthquakes & Faults ยท San Andreas Fault. Summary of the earthquake fault …
Heteromyid rodents from Miocene faunas of the Mojave Desert, Southern California. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Science Series 41; p. 213-236.
The area of most dramatic relief is around Death Valley, California, where the elevation drops from 3,400 m above sea level at Telescope Peak to 88 m below sea …
A rock formation is a body of rock of a considerable extent with distinctive characteristics that allow geologists to map, describe, and name it. The sample rocks …
The three sites in this area lie in the extreme southeast corner of Death Valley National Park immediately west of California Highway 127 which provides the …
Far from being static, the geology of Earth is dynamic, in constant motion and change. The crust is a puzzle made up of tectonic plates, shifting against …
Mojave Desert Geology: Joshua Tree National Park – Nature & Environment. Geology of Joshua Tree. Geologic Displays. The park encompasses some of the most …
Wind-induced Sand Movement. Photo of a dust devil on Soda Lake in the Mojave Preserve transporting sand. Individual sand grains are moved under the force of the …
Trona Pinnacles. This eerie, fantastic landscape is one of the most unique geological features in the California desert. These … Vasquez Rocks. These towering …
Historic weather data for the Eastern Mojave Desert is relatively scarce because there is no significant … Geologic History. The oldest rocks exposed in the …
This ongoing process has created the majestic contrast of a desert lake bordered by high mountain peaks. As the western floor of the Mono Basin slipped …
The earliest rock, related to the metamorphic gneiss and schist at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, has little exposure in the Mojave, but can be seen at Saddle …
Along with the faulting, volcanic activity increased across the landscape. Igneous rock is derived from molten layers of magma beneath the Earth’s crust. Under …
The Providence Mountains caves, like most limestone caves in other parts of the world, seem to have had a two-stage history. Most geologists who have studied …
Cinder Cones and Lava Flows National Natural Landmark Area. Volcanic eruptions have occurred many times throughout the Mojave National Preserve in the geologic …
Some of the minerals left behind by earlier Death Valley lakes dissolved in the shallow water, creating a briny solution. The Desert Returns. The wet times didn’t …
For much of the past 600 million years, the land that is now Red Rock Canyon NCA was the bottom of a deep ocean basin and the western coast of North America was …
Smooth, polished marble walls enclose the trail as it follows the canyon’s sinuous curves. The canyon follows faults that formed when the rocky crust of the …
