Reports: B8
43505-B8 Alluvial Facies Architecture and the Role of Climate and Tectonics in Basin-Fan Systems, Death Valley, California
Research Summary
As this is the final year of this project, much of 08-09 consisted of synthesizing and confirming many of the initial findings. Through extensive paleomagnetic and radiocarbon analysis, we have confirmed the presence of the ~40 ka Laschamp paleomagnetic excursion in the Searles Lake Formation along the paleo-Owens River (Liddicoat et al., 2008). This provides an age of unit A (Smith, 2009), which previously was unknown and allows correlation to pluvial Harper Lake along the paleo-Mojave River (Garcia et al., 2008). In addition, we have identified a nearly complete stratigraphic section ranging in age from ~3.5 Ma to ~0.5 Ma in the Kit Fox Hills of Death Valley (Knott et al., 2009). Based on these data, we conclude that alluvial fan progradation is dominantly climatically driven. I am presently preparing several journal publications related to this work.
Impact on My Career
Awarding of this grant was a key aspect of my receiving tenure at my institution. In addition, this grant allowed me to establish a number of professional collaborations and travel to professional meetings.
Impact on Participating Students
CSU Fullerton is a Hispanic-serving institution with many students with limited resources. In total, 7 undergraduates and 4 graduate students participated in research related to this project. Two undergraduates are pursuing graduate study and all others are working as professional geologists.
Garcia, A.L., Knott, J.R., Bright, J., and Mahan, S.A., 2008, Geochronology And Paleoenvironment Of Pluvial Harper Lake, Mojave Desert, California: geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 40, p. 49.
Knott, J.R., Wan, E., Wahl, D., Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., Liddicoat, J.C., and Deino, A., 2009, Pliocene And Pleistocene Tephrochronology And Paleoenvironments Of The Kit Fox Hills, Death Valley, CA: geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 41, p. 171.
Liddicoat, J.C., Coe, R.S., and Knott, J.R., 2008, Reverse Paleomagnetic Polarity in Exposed Lacustrine Sediment in Searles Valley, California, Dated 34,000-46,000 Calendar Years B.P.: EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 89, p. GP11A-0704.
Smith, G.I., 2009, Late Cenozoic geology and lacustrine history of Searles Valley, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, California, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1727, 115 p., 4 plates.
