Owens Valley located in the valley of the White mountains and the Eastern Sierras.

1. z
Geological Study of the
Owen Valley
Paige Roster

2. z
Introduction
 The purpose of this slideshow is to give some insight to the
beautiful part of California that not many recognize as part of
California. The Owens Valley.
 I grew up in the valley and was able to explore all my childhood.
From hidden waterfalls, caves, rocks that now are used for
bouldering.
 The Owens Valley is located on the East side of California set
between the Sierra Mountains and the White Mountains.

3. z
Owens Valley Fun Facts
 The Valley is 10,000 feet
deep.
 Has the highest peak in
the continental US: Mt.
Whitney 14,494
 Is home to the oldest
living tree the Bristlecone
Pine.

4. z
History
 This valley was formed by the Sierra Nevada Fault and
the White Mountain Fault being active having slip
episodes. The Owens Valley is a graben which means it
is a bordered by parallel faults. There are many
unsorted rocks located throughout the valley that were
pushed their by glaciers by the last ice age.

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Animals
 Some of the animals in the Owens Valley are coyotes, black-tailed
jackrabbits, antelope squirrels, gopher snakes, rattlesnakes, desert
spiny lizards and mourning doves.

6. z
Evolution of the Coyote
 Is in the genus Canis
 And descendants of the coyote
like Eucyon davisi
 They proposed that the
progression from Eucyon
davisi to C lepophagus to the
coyote was linear evolution
 Pleistocene coyotes were
specialized carnivores unlike
their descendants

7. z
Plants
 Some of the plants in the area are sage, antelope bush, and
Mormon / desert tea. There are cottonwood trees in the valley as
well, leaving my allergies on high alert. Here is a photo of sage
in the Owens Valley and the Fremont cotton woods.

8. z
Fremont Cottonwood Tree
 This tree is native to the south west
and Mexico.
 Grows nears streams, rivers, springs,
wetlands.
 Native Americans would use this as
shelter for animals and sometimes
medicine. As it contain Vitamin C in
the inner bark.
 The outbark and leaves were used
for inflammation and to treat wounds.

9. z Fossils
 In some parts of the valley there have been found, horse, camel, and
marine life and sponges and colonial coral fossils.

10. z
Ancient Bristlecone Pine
 These trees which are over 2,000
years old.
 They thrive in the alpine
environment but this environment
changes dramatically which the
tree have evolved with.
 Inconsistent soil changes.

11. z
Rocks in the Owens Valley
 Volcanic rock / basaltic rock
 Obsidian
 Glacial Erractics

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Big Pine Volcanic Field
 The age of this rock is Pleistocene
 The last eruption was 17,000 years
ago.
 Covers 190 sq. miles
 Consists of lava flows, one rhyolitic
coulee, 40 volcanic vents including
cinder cones.
 This area consists of 25
monogenetic volcanoes that only
erupt ones.
 What has erupted is basaltic rocks
spanning a range from alkali basalt
to basanite.
 When driving down HWY 395 you
will be able to see these rocks
through out the valley floor.

13. z
Buttermilk Bouldering Rocks
 These are the Glacial Erratics
 Huge rocks that seem to have
fallen from the sky and landed
anywhere they please.
 These rocks are light in color
and more of a smooth texture
but course, easy to grip on to
when bouldering.
 These are the rocks that were
pushed by the glaciers of the
last ice age.
 It is at the edge of the Sierra
Mountains west of Bishop that
you can find these huge
adventurous rocks.

14. z
Obsidian
 Obsidian is a natural volcanic glass.
 After a rain storm the rock will surface
in some of the softer sand found
closer to small ponds, watering holes
in the valley desert.
 The rock, even if not cut into an
arrowhead is sharp, and sturdy.
 Smooth to the touch just like glass.
 This rock occurs when volcanic rock
cools rapidly with minimal crystal
growth.

15. z
Angular Conformity
 These are located at the Red
Rock Canyon the southern
part of the Owens Valley.
 They are an anguar
conformity because of the
tilted layers that are
horizontal and parallel.

16. z
The Law of Lateral Continuity
 This suggests that all rock
layers are laterally continuous
and amy be broken up or
displaced by later events. Like
a river or stream erodes rock
layers.
 The Owens valley is cut with
the Owens river and many
stream that flow down the
mountain sides.
 The Owens valley is filled with
fresh mountain water cut from
the streams and rocks that
have slowly cut into the sides
of the mountains and bottom
of the valley floor.

17. z
References
 Wilkderson, G., (2007) Roadside Geology and Mining History Owens Valley and Mono Basin. US
Bureau of Land management.
 Owens Valley. (2019, June 06). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owens_Valley#Geology

 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://owensvalley.org/2-1-ov-water-history-ltwa/flora-part-i/

 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/learning/history-
culture/?cid=fsbdev3_003745

 Big Pine volcanic field. (2018, December 16). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Pine_volcanic_field

18. z
 Populus fremontii. (2019, April 24). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_fremontii

 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/learning/history-
culture/?cid=fsbdev3_003745

 Bishop Visitor's Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bishopvisitor.com/6½-
reasons-bishop-rocks/

 https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1692/report.pdf