CONTENTS
Introduction
Physiography
Weather Data
Geologic History
Changing Climates
Weathering & Erosion
Carbonate Rocks
Granitic Rocks
Volcanic Rocks
Faults
Pediments
Stream Channels
Stream Terraces
The Mojave River
Playas
Sand Dunes
Human Impacts
References
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Geology -
Mojave National Preserve:
Landforms & Erosional Processes
Weather Data
Historic weather data for the Mojave National Preserve is relatively
scarce because there are no significant population centers or airports in
the vicinity where records were kept. The table below provides a summary
of selected sites and data from in and around the greater Mojave region
that might serve as a proxy for weather conditions in different settings
within the national preserve (none of the sites are within the preserve
itself). In the future data from many additional weather stations in the
region will be available.
The weather data basically shows what any of the regional residents
could tell you. The region has very hot summers and cool winters. Most of
the rain falls in the winter months, but August typically has some
monsoonal storms. Spring tends to be the windiest season, and fall is the
dryest and least windy season.
Location |
Barstow |
Bishop |
Blythe FAA |
Daggett
FAA |
Death Valley |
Eagle
Mountain |
Mitchell Caverns** |
Latitude |
N34-54 |
N37-22 |
N33-37 |
N34-52 |
N36-28 |
N33-48 |
N34-56 |
Longitude |
W117-02 |
W118-22 |
W114-36 |
W116-47 |
W116-52 |
W115-27 |
W115-30 |
Elevation |
2,162 |
4,108 |
268 |
1,922 |
-194 |
973 |
4,350 |
Temperature Degrees F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January Maximum Minimum Mean |
60.0 31.7 45.9 |
52.9 21.4 37.2 |
67.6 38.2 52.9 |
60.7 35.9 48.3 |
65.3 39.6 52.5 |
64.1 44.1 54.1 |
54.4 36.9 -- |
April Maximum Minimum Mean |
77.0 45.0 61.1 |
70.9 35.8 53.4 |
86.5 52.1 69.3 |
78.0 50.2 64.1
|
89.5 62.1 75.8 |
81.5 59.2 70.4 |
69.5 48.2 -- |
July Maximum Minimum Mean |
102.6 67.2 84.2 |
97.5 56.3 77.0 |
108.7 76.8 92.8 |
104.0 73.2 88.6
|
115.4 88.4 101.9 |
105.2 82.8 94.0 |
94.0 71.1 -- |
October Maximum Minimum Mean |
83.0 48.1 65.5 |
77.1 37.4 57.3 |
90.7 56.1 73.4 |
83.2 54.6 68.9
|
92.9 62.9 77.9 |
87.5 64.6 76.1 |
75.1 54.4 -- |
Annual Maximum Minimum Mean |
80.3 47.7 64.0 |
74.4 37.6 56.0 |
88.1 55.4 71.8 |
81.1 53.2 67.2 |
90.4 63.0 76.7 |
84.3 62.4 74.3 |
73.0 52.3 -- |
Precipitation Normals (IN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January |
.66 |
1.32 |
.44 |
.56 |
.27 |
.41 |
1.54 |
April |
.22 |
.31 |
.17 |
.27 |
.14 |
.14 |
.53 |
July |
.31 |
.19 |
.11 |
.32 |
.16 |
.41 |
.90 |
August |
.30 |
.11 |
.94 |
.50 |
.09 |
.56 |
1.80 |
October |
.19 |
.17 |
.32 |
.17 |
.11 |
.25 |
.73 |
Annual |
4.14 |
5.61 |
3.75 |
3.81 |
2.03 |
3.26 |
11.82 |
Wind Speed Average MPH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January |
|
7.1 |
6.5 |
8.6 |
|
|
|
April |
|
10.1 |
8.9 |
13.8 |
|
|
|
July |
|
8.3 |
9.4 |
12.2 |
|
|
|
August |
|
8.4 |
8.8 |
11.4 |
|
|
|
October |
|
8.1 |
6.7 |
9.5 |
|
|
|
Annual |
|
8.4 |
7.8 |
10.9 |
|
|
|
Location |
Needles
FAA |
Palm Springs |
Palmdale
|
Parker
Reservoir |
Randsburg |
Thermal FAA |
Twentynine Palms |
Latitude |
N34-46 |
N33-49 |
N34-35 |
N34-17 |
N35-22 |
N33-38 |
N34-08 |
Longitude |
W114-37 |
W116-32 |
W118-06 |
W114-10 |
W117-39 |
W116-10 |
W116-02 |
Elevation |
913 |
411 |
2,596 |
738 |
3,570 |
120 |
1,975 |
Temperature Degrees F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January Maximum Minimum Mean |
62.9 40.9 51.9 |
69.3 40.8 55.1 |
58.6 32.2 45.4 |
63.9 42.4 53.2 |
53.8 35.7 44.7 |
69.8 38.3 54.1 |
62.7 35.3 49.0 |
April Maximum Minimum Mean |
83.4 56.3 69.9 |
86.2 52.2 69.2 |
72.9 42.6 57.8 |
83.3 58.7 71.1 |
71.0 45.6 58.4 |
85.6 55.1 70.4 |
81.0 48.5 64.7 |
July Maximum Minimum Mean |
108.7 83.1 95.9 |
109.1 74.1 91.7 |
97.7 65.0 8.14 |
107.8 83.4 95.6 |
98.8 68.7 83.8 |
106.9 76.9 91.9 |
105.4 72.1 88.7 |
October Maximum Minimum Mean |
87.9 61.1 74.7 |
92.1 57.9 75.0 |
80.6 47.4 64.0 |
89.5 64.4 77.0 |
77.1 53.2 65.2 |
91.0 57.8 74.4 |
86.0 52.7 69.6 |
Annual Maximum Minimum Mean |
85.5 60.1 72.8 |
88.8 55.8 72.3 |
77.1 46.4 61.6 |
85.5 61.9 73.9 |
74.9 50.4 62.7 |
88.1 56.7 72.4 |
83.5 51.8 67.7 |
Precipitation Normals (IN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January |
.52 |
1.26 |
1.73 |
.78 |
1.23 |
.52 |
.42 |
April |
.26 |
.17 |
.53 |
.23 |
.40 |
.07 |
.12 |
July |
.47 |
.04 |
.04 |
.31 |
.12 |
.18 |
.67 |
August |
.67 |
.06 |
.23 |
.60 |
.16 |
.30 |
.68 |
October |
.35 |
.65 |
.16 |
.46 |
.20 |
.14 |
.26 |
Annual |
4.39 |
5.20 |
7.38 |
4.97 |
5.48 |
2.82 |
3.89 |
Wind Speed Average MPH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January |
|
6.6 |
8.8 |
|
|
5.0 |
6.1 |
April |
|
10.3 |
12.9 |
|
|
8.3 |
9.9 |
July |
|
9.7 |
12.0 |
|
|
7.0 |
8.1 |
August |
|
8.9 |
10.8 |
|
|
6.2 |
7.5 |
October |
|
8.0 |
9.2 |
|
|
5.9 |
6.0 |
Annual |
|
8.7 |
10.6 |
|
|
6.5 |
7.6 |
Temperature and precipitation data from: NOAA, National Climatic
Center (re-compiled by Gale Research Company, 1983, Climate Normals for
the U.S. [Base: 1951-1980]: Detroit, MI.) **Mitchell Caverns, CA data
reported from 1971 to 2000.
Wind data from:
Western Regional
Climate Center (
Desert Research Institute
and others; Reno, NV): The
monthly average wind speeds are based on hourly observations from
reporting airports and based on data from 1992-2002.
Next > Geologic History
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