Lake Manly
| Lake Manly | |
|---|---|
| Location | Death Valley Inyo County, California |
| Coordinates | 36°13′12″N 116°49′38″W / 36.22°N 116.8272°W |
| Type | Endorheic rift lake (former) |
| Primary inflows | Furnace Creek Wash |
| Primary outflows | Terminal |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 130 |
| Max. width | 10 |
| Surface area | 260 |
| Max. depth | 180 |
| Surface elevation | -86 |
| Sections/sub-basins | Badwater Basin Middle Basin Cotton Ball Marsh |
Lake Manly is a pluvial, former freshwater, endorheic, rift lake that filled the Death Valley basin of Inyo County, California through the Holocene before the area's climate changed to desert. Following its isolation from the Colorado River system, Lake Manly receded by evaporation with Badwater Basin, Middle Basin, and Cotton Ball Marsh occupying the space left behind. At its greatest extent Lake Manly was roughly 80 mi (130 km) long and 600 ft (180 m) deep.[1]
Background
As Lake Manly evaporated to the surface of Death Valley, it left a remarkable legacy. Under the surface of Death Valley is one of the world's largest aquifers. Being fed by the Amargosa River and Salt Creek, this aquifer is barely visible above ground at Badwater Basin, at −282 ft (−86 m).[1]
Shoreline Butte has easy-to-see strandlines formed by wave action from the ancient lake. These features were created by strands of the lake, which would change its depth over time and also cause slight changes in climate. The conditions under which this lake existed are called "pluvial" by geologists instead of glacial because glaciers did not directly touch Death Valley, but the meltwater from the glaciers and the cooler and wetter climate of the time affected the valley. Approximately 8,000 ft (2,400 m) of gravel, sand, and mud overlay the bedrock of the valley floor.
Lake Manly is named after William L. Manly, who was among the original Death Valley party in 1849. Manly and a companion hiked out of Death Valley into the Greater Los Angeles Area, where he found help and returned to rescue his party.[2]
Reemergence
In 2004, severe flooding resulted in Lake Manly reappearing on a large scale.[3] More than 100 square miles (260 km2) were covered by the lake, allowing some tourists and park rangers to become probably the only humans to canoe across Death Valley. The lake was about two feet deep at its deepest point. It evaporated quickly, leaving behind a mud-salt mixture.
See also
References
- ^ a b US Geological Survey (30 June 2000). "Shoreline Butte: Ice age Death Valley". Death Valley Geology Field Trip Shoreline Butte. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ Manly, William L. (1894). Death Valley in '49. San Jose: The Pacific Tree and Vine Co. ISBN 0-912494-23-9. OCLC 166605554. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ National Weather Service (15 August 2004). "Survey of Death Valley Flood". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Dept of Commerce. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
Further reading
- Philip Stoffer (14 January 2004). "Changing Climates and Ancient Lakes" (.html). Desert Landforms and Surface Processes in the Mojave National Preserve and Vicinity. Open-File Report 2004-1007. USGS, US Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
External links
- Death Valley geology field trip - Shoreline Butte USGS
- 3-D Geology of Death Valley National Park USGS
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