Basin

1
(No Transcript)
2

• Basin Range Province (extended terrain caused
  by stretching of Earths crust)

• Great Basin (internally drained landscape)

3
Sierra Nevada
Mojave Desert
Transverse Ranges
4
Soda Dry Lake

Barstow
Mojave River headwaters
Landsat TM Image Mojave River Drainage
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
Mojave Tui Chub (Gila bicolor mojavensis)
Descendents of the seed population located at
Mojave Chub Spring

• Only surviving native fish of
  the Mojave River drainage
• Survived hybridization with introduced Arroyo
  Chub in isolated pool at Soda Springs
• Declared endangered in 1970 (federal) and 1971
  (state).

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Ancient landmass of Rodinia in Precambrian Time
Nov. 17th
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
End of Paleozoic Era December 11th
20
(No Transcript)
21

• Image late Permian corals from Bird Springs
  Formation (Providence Mtns.)
• Also present brachiopods, fusilinids, echinoids
  crinoids
• Implied environment Shallow (lt50m), warm
  marine seas of normal salinity

22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
Middle Mezozoic Era December 19th
25
Early Triassic North America December 13th.
Drawing courtesy or Dr. Norman Meek, C.S.U. San
Bernardino
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29

• Recent Landscape Changes
• Extension (stretching) of region creates Basin
  and Range Province - last 35 million years (Dec.
  29 - now)
• Volcanic activity
• Woods Mountain Volcanic Center erupts 16.4-15.8
  Ma (Dec. 30, 448-600 PM)
• Cima Volcanic Field erupts 7.5 Ma-10 Ka (Dec. 31,
  943 AM - Dec. 31, 115852 PM)
• Latest uplift of Sierra Nevada and Transverse
  ranges set stage for rain-shadow desert
  conditions (last 3 million years - Dec. 31, 620
  PM to now)
• Climate oscillations throughout Pleistocene Epoch
  from Ice Ages to interglacial periods ( 2 Ma -
  11Ka starts Dec. 31, 812 PM )
• Last 11,000 years (Dec 31, 115845 PM to now)
  is called Holocene Epoch (latest interglacial
  period) - when Mojave desert comes to current
  form.

30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
Late Wisconsin Ice Age ( 2minutes to
midnight, December 31) Humans likely present,
Great Basin lakes full, erosion of mountains.
34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
Playas lt2
Mountains/hills 30
Rivers/Washes lt1
Alluvial fans/bajadas 65
Dunes lt1
37
(No Transcript)
38
(No Transcript)
39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
(No Transcript)
46
(No Transcript)
47
(No Transcript)
48
Biological Attributes
49
Sidewinder Rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes
50
Giant Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)
largest in North America
51
Lytta magister DO NOT TOUCH THIS ONE !
52
Desert Woodrat Neotoma lepida
53
Ringtail Bassariscus astutus
54
Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus, aka Vicente
55
Desert Big-Horn Sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni
56
(No Transcript)
57
(No Transcript)