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in the area, with an intertwined history of various larger bodies of water subsuming smaller ones during water table maxima and the subsequent splitting and disappearance thereof during the evaporative part of the cycles. Although these local cycles are now somewhat modified by human presence, their
439:, typical for endorheic bodies of water. Over time, this hypersalinization, combined with sporadic rainfall and occasional aquifer intrusion, has resulted in periods of "briny soup", or salty pools, on the lowest parts of Death Valley's floor. Salts (95% table salt –
355:
rate. This is the greatest evaporation potential in the United States, meaning that a 12 ft (3.8 m) lake could dry up in a single year. When the basin is flooded, some of the salt is dissolved; it is redeposited as clean crystals when the water evaporates.
320:, is named after the basin due to their similarities. Adjacent to the pool, where water is not always present at the surface, repeated freeze–thaw and evaporation cycles gradually push the thin salt crust into hexagonal shapes.
323:
The pool is not the lowest point of the basin: the lowest point (which is only slightly lower) is several miles to the west and varies in position, depending on rainfall and evaporation patterns. The
351:
with a thin sheet of standing water. Newly formed lakes do not last long though, because the 1.9 in (48 mm) of average rainfall is overwhelmed by a 150 in (3,800 mm) annual
435:, which during its greatest extents was approximately 80 mi (130 km) long and up to 600 ft (180 m) deep. Numerous evaporation cycles and a lack of outflow caused an increasing
1696:
327:
are hazardous to traverse (in many cases being only a thin white crust over mud), and so the sign marking the low point is at the pool instead. The basin was considered the
379:
in the southwest (and bordered by various uplifts and mountains around the west-northwest-northern perimeters) has seen numerous cycles since at least the start of the
1686:
96:
717:
443:) began to crystallize, coating the surface with the thick crust, ranging from 3 to 60 in (8 to 152 cm), now observable at the basin floor.
391:
lakes of varying size have come and gone in a complex cycle, mainly tied to changing climate patterns (particularly, glaciation during the numerous
392:
1113:
793:
1661:
456:
1681:
1331:
924:
564:"Find Distance and Azimuths Between 2 Sets of Coordinates (Badwater 36-15-01-N, 116-49-33-W and Mount Whitney 36-34-43-N, 118-17-31-W)"
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611:
513:
449:
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49:
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Throughout the
Quaternary's wetter spans, streams running from nearby mountains filled Death Valley, creating
424:
legacy persists; despite appearances much to the contrary, Death Valley actually sits atop one of the largest
359:
A popular site for tourists is the sign marking "sea level" on the cliff above the
Badwater Basin. Similar to
863:
224:
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260:
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The current best understanding of the area's geological history is that the entire region between the
1458:
1426:
1421:
1377:
363:, it is characterized by a deep bed of unconsolidated valley fill from which the salt crust emerges.
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At
Badwater Basin, significant rainstorms flood the valley bottom periodically, covering the
154:
128:
16:
Salt-filled basin in Death Valley
National Park, containing the lowest point in North America
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of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable, thus giving it the name. The pool does have
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1065:"Surface and subsurface characterisation of salt pans expressing polygonal patterns"
962:
955:"Oasis near Death Valley fed by ancient aquifer under Nevada Test Site, study shows"
745:"Surface and subsurface characterisation of salt pans expressing polygonal patterns"
1632:
1573:
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1321:
1087:
990:
Desert
Landforms and Surface Processes in the Mojave National Preserve and Vicinity
985:
810:
767:
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407:. These alternate with periodic water body breakthroughs and rearrangements due to
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Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Coles, Kenneth S.; Christensen, Philip R., eds. (2019),
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415:. This process has resulted in a high number of evaporating and reforming
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U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Badwater Basin
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Lasser, Jana; Nield, Joanna M.; Goehring, Lucas (November 14, 2020).
743:
Lasser, Jana; Nield, Joanna M.; Goehring, Lucas (November 14, 2020).
384:
336:
264:
992:. Open-File Report 2004-1007. USGS, US Department of the Interior.
348:
1207:
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408:
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663:
839:"The Salton Sea: California's Overlooked Treasure - Chapter 1"
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by the
Colorado River, as can also be seen in the case of the
1591:
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1199:
618:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 222–227,
440:
317:
899:
395:), but also influenced by the progressive depositing of
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275:, is only 84.6 miles (136 km) to the northwest.
1697:
Bodies of water of San
Bernardino County, California
664:
United States
Geological Survey (January 13, 2004).
616:
The Atlas of Mars: Mapping its
Geography and Geology
1062:
742:
925:"Death Valley Geology Field Trip: Shoreline Butte"
1643:
892:"Life in Death Valley ~ Little Fish, Big Splash"
89:
672:. US Department of the Interior. Archived from
282:-fed pool of "bad water" next to the road in a
1687:Landforms of San Bernardino County, California
1126:California's Desert Parks: A Day Hiker's Guide
983:
1172:
1179:
1165:
329:lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere
1091:
1021:. Springer Science & Business Media.
771:
659:
657:
1048:Quaternary Geology of the United States
977:
1644:
1119:from the original on November 5, 2020.
1051:. Geological Society of America 2003,
1014:
799:from the original on November 5, 2020.
696:"Badwater, Death Valley National Park"
544:(Topographic map). 1:24000. 7.5 minute
508:
506:
56:
1662:Endorheic basins of the United States
1160:
996:from the original on October 23, 2009
986:"Changing Climates and Ancient Lakes"
919:
917:
833:
831:
654:
476:List of elevation extremes by country
1682:Landforms of Inyo County, California
1598:
481:List of elevation extremes by region
278:The site itself consists of a small
1018:Saline Lake Ecosystems of the World
984:Philip Stoffer (January 14, 2004).
566:. Federal Communications Commission
503:
13:
914:
828:
14:
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316:, the lowest place on the planet
263:of 282 ft (86 m) below
1624:
1607:
1579:
1567:
1015:Hammer, U. T. (April 30, 1986).
864:"Death Valley Groundwater Basin"
537:
459:Panoramic view of Badwater Basin
448:
55:
48:
29:
1008:
947:
884:
856:
803:
670:Death Valley Geology Field Trip
541:Badwater Quadrangle, California
518:United States Geological Survey
514:"Highest and Lowest Elevations"
339:at −344 ft (−105 m).
251:, noted as the lowest point in
1317:Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
1272:Amargosa Opera House and Hotel
736:
710:
698:. The American Southwest. 2010
688:
603:
578:
556:
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1:
491:
1712:Lowest points of U.S. states
1702:Lakes of Southern California
342:
35:View of Badwater Basin from
7:
1045:Don J. Easterbrook (Hrsg):
464:
271:, the highest point in the
10:
1728:
1672:Lowest points of countries
1667:Lakes of the Mojave Desert
1657:Death Valley National Park
1192:Death Valley National Park
590:planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov
383:(and perhaps up to 3
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241:Death Valley National Park
1502:
1330:
1264:
1236:Death Valley monkeyflower
1198:
1129:. Wilderness Press 2006,
1093:10.5194/essd-12-2881-2020
1072:Earth System Science Data
773:10.5194/essd-12-2881-2020
752:Earth System Science Data
624:10.1017/9781139567428.033
411:and the proximity of the
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210:
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202:−282 ft (−86 m)
198:
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127:
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28:
23:
1677:Salt flats of California
1256:Saratoga Springs pupfish
1246:Death Valley June beetle
273:contiguous United States
1152:Encyclopædia Britannica
331:until the discovery of
249:Inyo County, California
83:Inyo County, California
486:Badwater Ultramarathon
186:7.5 miles (12 km)
162:Terminal (evaporation)
112:36.25028°N 116.82583°W
1692:Springs of California
1398:Death Valley Junction
1287:Death Valley Railroad
419:lakes throughout the
393:recent Ice Age cycles
194:5.0 miles (8 km)
1383:Cottonwood Mountains
1241:Death Valley pupfish
1216:Amargosa springsnail
811:"Our Dynamic Desert"
676:on December 24, 2007
471:Death Valley pupfish
387:). In these cycles,
215:Badwater, California
117:36.25028; -116.82583
1707:Lakes of California
1403:Devil's Golf Course
1297:Harmony Borax Works
1282:Death Valley '49ers
1251:Devils Hole pupfish
1084:2020ESSD...12.2881L
764:2020ESSD...12.2881L
108: /
929:www.nature.nps.gov
286:; the accumulated
1555:
1554:
1417:Funeral Mountains
935:on April 30, 2015
633:978-1-139-56742-8
586:"Planetary Names"
421:Quaternary Period
413:San Andreas Fault
333:Laguna del Carbón
230:
229:
199:Surface elevation
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1464:Saratoga Springs
1435:Panamint Springs
1322:Twenty-mule team
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1078:(4): 2881–2898.
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965:on June 20, 2015
961:. Archived from
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931:. Archived from
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902:. August 4, 2011
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871:www.water.ca.gov
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843:www.sci.sdsu.edu
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758:(4): 2881–2898.
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612:"Hellas (MC-28)"
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375:in the east and
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156:Primary outflows
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1636:from Wikivoyage
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1599:sister projects
1596:at Knowledge's
1590:
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1494:Zabriskie Point
1474:Stovepipe Wells
1469:Scotty's Castle
1449:Racetrack Playa
1439:Panamint Valley
1373:Black Mountains
1353:Ash Meadows NWR
1326:
1260:
1194:
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1123:John McKinney:
1116:
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1040:Further reading
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377:Baja California
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314:Badwater Crater
304:aquatic insects
237:endorheic basin
171: countries
142:Primary inflows
134:Endorheic basin
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1479:Telescope Peak
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1444:Rainbow Canyon
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1431:Panamint Range
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1340:Amargosa Range
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1509:California:
1393:Darwin Falls
1388:Dante's View
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1188:Death Valley
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959:news.byu.edu
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79:Death Valley
37:Dante's View
18:
722:Tripadvisor
381:Pleistocene
353:evaporation
211:Settlements
183:Max. length
115: /
103:116°49′33″W
90:Coordinates
1646:Categories
1586:California
1302:Lake Manly
1292:Greenwater
1231:Chuckwalla
1137:, S. 54–55
1102:8864981074
782:8864981074
718:"Badwater"
666:"Badwater"
570:August 13,
492:References
433:Lake Manly
405:Salton Sea
361:Owens Lake
325:salt flats
306:, and the
300:pickleweed
296:plant life
221:References
191:Max. width
100:36°15′01″N
1574:Geography
1110:234738235
1059:, S.63–64
790:234738235
642:243430036
548:April 29,
523:April 26,
417:endorheic
343:Geography
337:Argentina
265:sea level
259:, with a
1530:Nevada:
1454:Rhyolite
1363:Ballarat
1277:Badwater
1208:minerals
1114:Archived
994:Archived
969:June 20,
939:June 20,
906:June 20,
876:June 20,
848:June 20,
820:June 20,
794:Archived
647:June 16,
595:June 16,
465:See also
426:aquifers
349:salt pan
255:and the
75:Location
1560:Portals
1265:History
1150:in the
1080:Bibcode
760:Bibcode
409:erosion
389:pluvial
367:History
1547:SR 374
1542:SR 373
1537:SR 267
1521:SR 190
1516:SR 178
1511:SR 127
1368:Beatty
1348:Valley
1332:Places
1312:Skidoo
1133:
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896:Nature
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780:
724:. 2010
640:
630:
538:USGS.
401:deltas
292:animal
280:spring
235:is an
1616:Media
1532:US 95
1484:Trona
1412:Dunes
1344:River
1226:Borax
1204:flora
1200:Fauna
1117:(PDF)
1106:S2CID
1068:(pdf)
867:(PDF)
797:(PDF)
786:S2CID
748:(pdf)
638:S2CID
497:Notes
288:salts
261:depth
169:Basin
1206:and
1190:and
1131:ISBN
1098:OCLC
1053:ISBN
1023:ISBN
1002:2009
971:2015
941:2015
908:2015
878:2015
850:2015
822:2015
778:OCLC
730:2010
704:2010
682:2009
649:2023
628:ISBN
597:2023
572:2010
550:2021
525:2021
441:NaCl
399:and
318:Mars
294:and
284:sink
129:Type
1088:doi
900:PBS
768:doi
620:doi
335:in
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