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Glossary
Even after more than 10 years of back-road
exploring, we are still learning new words and terminology. As part
of our effort to share our knowledge with you, we include a glossary in every
Guide. Most of the words or terms you'll find in the glossary are
geology-related simply because many geological terms are not commonly known.
Some of the words in the glossary, however, are uncommon abbreviations or
descriptions that a new visitor to Death Valley or to back-road exploring might
not know.
Throughout the Guide, you will see [glossary] written
after a particular word or term. This means that there is a description
available for that word/term. To see that description, click the [glossary]
link. To return to the page you were reading, click the Back button.
 4WD
Abbreviation for Four-Wheel Drive.
Alluvial
Fan
Rocks, gravel, sand, etc. that have been washed down
the canyon of a steep mountain slope and deposited at the mouth of that canyon
in a fan-shape. Read more in the
Geology chapter.
Alluvium
Loose gravel, sand, and finer rock debris
that has been deposited by running water from a canyon.
Amargosa
In Spanish, Amargosa means "bitter" referring to the
bad taste that the natural minerals give to the water.
Badlands
A region of land that is made up of eroded volcanic material (a white, chalky sand substance)
called "tuff" that has many steep ridges and gullies and
usually no plant growth. Badlands are typical of the northern
Black Mountains and the China Ranch/Sperry Hills area. Read more about it
in the Geology chapter. [see
picture]
Bajada
Formed when two or more
alluvial fans, from a series of mountainside
canyons, merge together and create a gradual slope. Read more in the
Geology chapter.
Basin
and Range
Known as the Basin and Range Province which is
a geographic area covering a small portion of Eastern California (which Death
Valley is in), most of the State of Nevada and a portion of Western Utah (up to
Interstate 15). This province consists of a series of long parallel
valleys with adjoining mountain ranges that trend north by northwest.
According to geologists, they were created after a plate of sea floor (the
Pacific Plate) dove underneath the continental shelf (North America), a process
known as "subduction", and then was later spread apart and stretched causing the
mountain ranges and valleys we see today. However, this one widely used
theory on how the Basin and Range Province was created is debated by other
geologists. Read more about it in the
Geology chapter.
Borax
Borax, the crystalline form of the element boron, was (and is
still today) a necessary ingredient in the making of many every-day items such
as glass, ceramics and detergents. In modern times, it is also used to
make fiberglass, pest control products, is a plant nutrient, and much more.
Boulder Jam
A large rock or group of rocks that have either tumbled down from the sides of a canyon
or have been washed down from flash floods that now block the
canyon pathway. Some boulder jams are small enough to get over or around
and some require serious rock climbing skill and/or equipment. Many times
these boulder jams are a turn-around point for us. [see
picture]
Breccia
Breccia is created when small rock
fragments are bound together in natural cement. Found in abundance in
Mosaic Canyon. [see
picture]
Bureau of Land Management (B.L.M.)
Federal agency that maintains land that is usually not
managed by either the National Park or Forest Service. See their
website for more information.
Cairns
Man-made rock piles used along a hiking trail or road to mark the correct path.
Usually seen at a junction or in areas where the trail is difficult to
determine. [see
picture]
Callouts
Some photographs include "callouts" which means that there are different points
of interest or certain landmarks that have been identified and marked on the
photograph to give a sense of perspective and direction.
China Ranch Wash
Maps of this area are not clear as to the proper name for this wash. The
other name commonly used is Willow Creek Wash.
Conglomerate
Earth material that has been cemented together and is now very tough and usually
resistant to erosion. Materials cemented together usually include
coarse-grained rock mixed together with a cementing mixture.
Breccias are often conglomerates.
Dry Lake
Dry lakes are commonly found in
deserts and are formed when water run-off from the surrounding hills cannot drain out of
the valley. The water collects at the lowest spot in the valley and
creates a temporary lake. Eventually, evaporation dries the lake.
[see picture] Read more in
the Geology chapter.
Dry Waterfall
A steep, narrow section in a canyon where, during a flashflood, a
waterfall occurs. When the waterfall does occur, the force of the water
digs away the bottom making this section higher and higher over time. Many canyons in
Death Valley have dry waterfalls that are difficult to get over unless you have
rock-climbing skills and equipment. [see
picture]
Erosion
The gradual wearing away of rock and material by two of Mother Nature's
most powerful forces - wind and
water. Read more in the Geology chapter.
Escarpment
A long cliff or steep slope separating two
comparatively level or more gently sloping surfaces and resulting from erosion
or faulting. Examples of escarpments can be found along
Badwater Road.
Extension Hike
A term we use to identify a hiking trail that is an extension of or branch of
another hiking trail. To get to the trailhead of an extension hike, you
will first have to take the hike that leads to it.
Fault
A division or crack in the Earth's crust where earthquakes occur.
The movement or "slippage" of the the crust along these cracks (or fault lines)
is what causes earthquakes. See below for "normal fault" or "lateral-slip
fault". Read more about faults in the
Geology chapter.
Fault Scarp
See scarp below.
Fault Zone
The general path that a particular fault takes that
may not be visible on the surface. Also, many faults don't appear as a
single fracture but as multiple, parallel fractures. Some fault
zones, such as the San Andreas, are sometimes up to a mile wide. Read more
in the Geology chapter.
Flash Flood
A sudden rush of water from a thunderstorm's downpour that has collected over a
large land area and is being funneled down into a canyon. Here, the
concentration of this large volume of water in a narrow canyon causes it to pick
up speed and
force. Flash floods can pick up large rocks, dirt, debris or anything in
it's path and can become a "mudflow". In Death Valley, flash
floods are the main cause of erosion in the mountains. [see
picture] - notice water on left of picture and dry river bed at right.
See
pictures of the effects of the 2004 flash flood on the Furnace Creek Inn
area.
Formations
Layers of earth material that were
created when the Earth was originally forming. Think of the Earth as being
similar to an onion with its many concentric layers. Many geologists theorize
that,
after the Earth was formed over four billion years ago, different types of
material with their different colors were laid down and created the layers that are
called formations. An excellent place to see these different
layers/formations are the beautifully-colored canyon walls of the Grand Canyon.
Some of the formations you'll find in
Death Valley are: Furnace Creek, Artist Drive, Warm Spring, Noonday
Dolomite, Johnnie, Kingston Peak, among others. Read more in the
Geology chapter.
Geologic Time Scale
A standardized set of terms and their corresponding time
frame that geologists and
paleontologists use to describe [see diagram]
the different periods of Earth's geological time. The terms
(Cambrian, Jurassic, etc.) are commonly used when describing the age of
a particular formation [glossary] or any other
geologic feature.
Jayhawker's
The name given to the group of settlers who crossed
Death Valley in 1849 and gave the valley it's name. Read more in the
History chapter.
Lateral-Slip
Fault
A fault that is horizontal - meaning the blocks of earth slip past past
each other (usually north-south). The infamous San Andreas Fault is a
lateral-slip fault. Many faults in the Death Valley area are thought to be
linked to the San Andreas because they are similar in nature and also because of
increased adoption of the "Mojave Rift Zone". Same as a
Strike Slip Fault. [see
example]
Marble
Metamorphosed limestone or dolomite that is usually coarsely crystallized.
Marble rock is a prize find because it contains many natural colors and
beautiful designs.
Metamorphic Rock
A type of rock that has been produced by extreme heat, pressure
and stress over millions of years. Metamorphic rock is usually created far
below the Earth's crust and later pushed to the surface. Read more about
this type of rock in the Geology chapter.
National Park Service (N.P.S.)
Federal agency responsible for managing the various National Parks such as Death
Valley and the Mojave Preserve. See their
website for more information or specifically the NPS Death Valley
website.
Normal Fault
A fault that is vertical - meaning the blocks of earth slip up or down. It is usually
associated with uplift and typically found at the base of a mountain. In
fact, the side of many steep mountains are the "scarps" (see below) of normal
faults. [see
picture] [see example]
Read more in the Geology chapter.
Off-camber
An off-roading term meaning that the dirt road is at a
severe angle (tilted) giving an "off balance" feeling and not recommended for
top-heavy vehicles. These roads are on the sides of a hill. Many
inexperienced off-road drivers find the feeling of being off-camber unsettling.
Photo-op
An abbreviation for "photographic opportunity".
Playa
Another word for a dry lake (see above).
Riparian
An area of land that contains one or more springs giving life to a
normally dry desert - like an oasis. Riparian areas usually
cover many acres of vegetation and trees.
Scarp
An abrupt, steep incline on the side of a mountain that was created by an
earthquake along a "normal fault" (see above). Scarps can be as small as a few feet
high and created from a single 5.0 to 7.0
magnitude earthquake. Or, a scarp can be as high as 14,000 feet, like
the Eastern Sierras, which are the product of some 5 million years of uplift
[see
picture]. Read more about fault scarps in the
Geology chapter.
Scrambling
Mild rock climbing where you will need good hiking boots, the
use of your hands and confidence in your basic climbing skills (like identifying
good hand and foot holds) to get beyond a certain point. [see
picture]
Sediment
Loose rocks (of all sizes and shapes) that have been deposited by wind
and/or
water over time.
Sedimentary Rock
Loose rocks that have been bound together in layers over long periods of time
[see picture]. Read more about
this type of rock in the Geology chapter.
Strata
A bed or layer of sedimentary rock having approximately the same composition
throughout.
Strike Slip Fault
A fault that is horizontal - meaning the blocks of
earth slip past past each other (usually north-south). The infamous San
Andreas Fault is a lateral-slip fault. Many faults in the Death Valley
area are thought to be linked to the San Andreas because they are similar in
nature and also because of increased adoption of the "Mojave Rift Zone".
Same as a Lateral Slip Fault. [see
example]
Tailings
Tailings are the leftover dirt/rock piles created by
the digging of mines.
Tailing material is usually very loose and steep which makes walking on it difficult.
Sometimes, however, there are excellent rock specimens to be found there. [see
picture]
Thrust or Reverse Fault
The opposite or "reverse" of a
normal fault where the hanging wall "thrusts" up over the foot wall [see
example].
Turtlebacks
According to some geologists, a turtleback is a "pluton" or bubble-shaped rock,
made of metamorphic material, that was formed deep inside the earth and rose to
the surface keeping its round shape. Only found in Death Valley and the
country of Turkey, these rare features were named for their resemblance to
the back of a turtle's shell [see
picture]. Read more in the Geology
chapter.
Uplift
Sections of the Earth's crust that have been pushed up by the "uplifting"
from a "normal fault" (see above) [see
picture]. Read more in the
Geology chapter.
Ventifact
Rock, usually basalt, that has had its shape and
surface changed by windblown sand. In Death Valley, high-speed winds blow
along the valley floor, picking up sand as it goes and driving it into the
black, basalt rocks; eroding them and creating unique shapes and patterns.
Read more in the Ventifact Ridge chapter.
Volcanic
Tuff
Rock that was formed when material from volcanic
eruptions were combined.
Wineglass Canyon
A typical type of canyon found in the Death Valley
area.
As the name implies, these canyons are shaped like a wineglass with an
alluvial fan at the base, a narrow slot canyon for
the stem and a widening canyon opening for the top of the glass [see picture].
These canyons are the result of a rapidly uplifted mountain range like the
Black and Panamint Mountains. Read
more in the Geology chapter.
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