By: Jaclyn Krizanic

What year did the park become an official National Park and why?

Death Valley become recognized as a national monument by

President Hoover on February 11, 1933. When the Desert Protection Act of October 31, 1994 was signed into law, Death Valley grew by 1,200,000 acres and was designated a national park. Today, Death Valley National Park is made up of 3,336,000 acres and contains more than 3,000,000 acres of wilderness.

How was the park formed? (From an Earth Science perspective)

Death Valley is a rift valley formed by crustal sinking, volcanic activity, and erosion. After the faults formed in the earth's crust, excessive folding and volcanic activity uplifted the mountain ranges and lowered the valley floor, creating a graben.

What types of rocks can be found inside your park?

• The most common rock in Death Valley is called the Moving rock. The Moving rock is made out of 10,000 year old dried up clay, limestone, dolomite and marble from the original sea bed that was there before Death Valley formed.

• In present times, no one has seen the rocks move, and no one knows why..

• Two theories exist as to why the rocks move, but either theory has been proved correct.

The first theory is that ice sheets form and move the rocks. The second theory is that the wind moves the rocks.

What special landforms or features are inside your park?

Some special features are:• Devils Hole- This section was added to Death Valley National

Monument by presidential proclamation in 1952. It is a water filled cavern about 500 feet deep. It is also the home to the pupfish, who have lived there for 10,000 to 20,000 years. In 1967, the Devils Hole pupfish were officially listed as an endangered species.

• Badwater Basin-This feature is the largest protected salt flat in the world. It covers about 200 square miles. Salt flats are too harsh for most plants and animals to survive on, yet are very fragile.

How is the land inside your park currently changing?

The landscapes in Death Valley have been changing for millions of years. It is changing now and will continue to change in the future. Death Valley has active earthquake fault lines that act like a giant seesaw. The Valley floor slips down along the fault line and the mountains rise higher on the other side of the fault line. Also, erosion is another thing that causes the lands to change in Death Valley.

What environmental issues are affecting Death Valley?

1. Pollution from nearby large cities affects air quality.

2. Mining of gold, silver, borax, and talc scar the landscape.

3. Non-native species, such as, tamarisk, choke out plant and animal life.

4. Light pollution of the night sky from nearby bright Las Vegas lights.

How is technology being used to preserve and maintain your park?

In order to preserve the night sky in Death Valley, the park wants to become the first night-dark national park. Rangers are replacing two-thirds of the outdoor lights in the park with light fixtures that focus light onto the ground instead of sideways or upward. Rangers are also debating whether to turn off outdoor lights in some cases.

Topographic map

Bibliography "Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service -

Experience Your America. Web. 2 May. 2010. <http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm>.

Death Valley National Park. Web. 16 May 2010. <http://www.death.valley.national-park.com/>.

"Death Valley National Park (DesertUSA)." Desert Biomes by DesertUSA. Web. 12 May. 2010. <http://www.desertusa.com/dv/du_dvpmain.html>.

"Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada." The American Southwest - Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming; Slot Canyons & Travelogue. Web. 20 May. 2010. <http://www.americansouthwest.net/california/death_valley/national_park.html>.