Where Is It Death Valley is a valley

Where Is It? Death Valley, is a valley in Eastern California near the border with Nevada that is mostly desert as it is so dry. The valley is part of Death Valley National Park and is the lowest, driest and hottest area in North America. Death Valley is America’s largest National Park covering 3. 4 million acres.

Why Is It Called ‘Death Valley’? The valley was given its grim-sounding name by a group of explorers lost here in the winter of 1849 -1850. The harsh conditions (including temperatures of over 50°C and flash floods) made the explorers think that they would all die there, even though, as far as we know, only one of them did. Even today, the National Park guidelines recommend to avoid hiking after 10 am in the morning.

The Highest Point Telescope Peak in the Panamint Range is the highest point in Death Valley. It has an elevation of 3366 m and a route of 14 miles to walk up it. A number of different trees can be found on the mountain, including single -leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla), limber pine (Pinus flexilis) and on the highest slopes, the ancient Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).

The Lowest Point Badwater Basin is a lake that is, more often than not, completely dry and a salt pan. It is commonly titled the lowest point in North America being 86 m below sea level and the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Sometimes, rainstorms flood the valley creating shallow lake. However, these lakes do not last long because there is a 3800 mm annual evaporation rate. This means that a 3. 7 m lake could completely dry up in a single year. The basin itself has a small pool of ‘bad water’ next to the road. The salts of the surrounding basin that gathere make it undrinkable, giving it the name. The pool does have some animal and plant life including pickleweed, aquatic insects and the badwater snail. The surface next to the pool goes through repeated freeze–thaw and evaporation cycles gradually pushing the thin salt crust into hexagonal honeycomb shapes.

What Can Grow There? Surprisingly, with high temperatures and little rainfall, there are lots of plants to be found in Death Valley - around 900 species. There is nothing that grows in the salt pan, but in other areas where some water is available are plants including cacti, creosote bush, desert holly and Joshua trees. Interesting fact: The Joshua Tree is the name of a famous album from the 1980 s by the band, U 2. The album cover features a photo of a Joshua tree in Death Valley.

Minerals Borax (used in soaps and washing products as well as cleaners and antiseptics), manganese (used in drinks cans), talc (talcum powder) and iron salts (used in vehicle and electronics industries) are among the many minerals that are found in Death Valley. Long ago, people even went there mining for gold.

What Animals Live There? Among the animals, there are: • coyotes; • sheep called bighorns; • desert jackrabbits; • desert tortoises; • chuckwallas (a type of large lizard); • lots of different types of birds.

Wandering Rocks! In a section of Death Valley known as Racetrack Playa, a strange phenomenon happens. Rocks seem to move on their own, leaving long trails behind them in the cracked, bone-dry clay. The wandering rocks have baffled scientists for more than fifty years. Nobody has ever seen them actually moving, yet move they must, because the rocks do change position and leave a trail behind them. A group of young scientists is currently trying to figure out the reason. It seems to be linked to ice assisting the rocks, but they are still investigating.

Driving Through The California State Route 190 (SR 190) is the name of the road that runs through Death Valley. After the SR 190 enters Death Valley National Park, it becomes bendier as it travels down into the Panamint Valley. The highway crosses the valley and then turns north-east over Towne Pass and into the northern part of Death Valley at Stovepipe Wells. Inside the valley, at the crossroads with North Highway, SR 190 turns southeast through Death Valley. It leaves the valley next to Furnace Creek Wash where the road is usually closed at least once a year due to flash floods. SR 190 then moves East, it leaves the park following a mostly straight course to its end at State Route 127, Death Valley Junction.

Film Locations Thanks to its amazing landscapes, Death Valley has been used for many film locations. Some parts can look like other planets, other times or simply a place miles and miles from civilisation. The most famous films shot there were the original Star Wars movies.

Compare Death Valley with Your Area Research and Compare where you live with Death Valley, and answer these questions about your county or area: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. What is the meaning of the name of your area? What is the highest and lowest point? What is the climate (including highest and lowest temperatures)? What plants are popular? What are the native animals? What are the main roads through? What minerals are found naturally? Has the area been used as a TV or film location? Are there any strange phenomena (like the wandering rocks)? You can also delve deeper into these elements in Death Valley.