Death Valley

Death Valley is an arid region valley situated in the Mojave Desert on the Eastern side of California. It is the lowest, hottest and the driest region in North America. The Badwater Basin of the Death Valley is the spot of the lowest height in North America, with a height of 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. This end is 136.2 km (84.6 miles) east-southeast of the Mount Whitney, the peak point in the neighboring United States with a height of 14,505 feet (4,421 meters). The Furnace Creek on the Death Valley holds the record for the uppermost constantly reported air temperature of 56.7 C (134 F) in the world.

The Death Valley is situated in the Great Basin, close to the border of Nevada and California, eastern side of the mountains of Sierra Nevada. The Valley represents much of the National Park and it is the major feature of the reserve of the Mojave and Colorado arid regions. It is situated generally in Inyo County in California. It extends from north to south between the Panamint Range on the west and the Amargosa Range on the east. The Owlshead Mountains and the Sylvania Mountains form its southern and northern boundaries, respectively. The Inyo County has an area of about 7,800 square kilometers (3,000 square miles. The peak point in the Death Valley itself is the Telescope Peak in the Panamint Mountain Range, which has a height of 11,043 feet (3,366 meters).

Death Valley is one among the greatest physical examples of a basin and range pattern. The valley lies at the southern conclusion of Walker Lane, which is a geographical trough that runs north into the state of Oregon. The valley is divided into two equal parts by the right side strike glide fault system, embodied by the Furnace Creek Fault and the Death Valley Fault. The eastern conclusion of the left side Garlock Fault crosses the Death Valley Fault. The Amargosa River and the Furnace Creek flow through the Death Valley, but finally fade away into the sands of the valley ground.

Climate

Death Valley encompasses a subtropical, hot, arid region, type of weather, with extended, very hot summers and little, and warm winters in addition to less precipitation. The shape and the depth of the Death Valley control its summer temperatures. The valley is an elongated, tapered basin 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level, but still it is walled by lofty, sheer mountain ranges. The apparent, arid air and thin plant cover, let sunlight to heat the surface of the desert. Summer nights offer a slight relief as lows during the night may only plunge into the 28 C to 37 C (82 F to 98 F) range. Stirring masses of super-heated air drive through the Death Valley, generating very high temperatures. The mean yearly temperature of the Death Valley is 25.1 C (77.2 F) with a standard high temperature in January of approximately 19 C (67 F) and 47 C (116 F) in July.

The average yearly rainfall in Death Valley is 60 mm (2.36 inches), whereas the Greenland Ranch station has an average rainfall of 40 mm (1.58 inches). The recorded wettest month in the valley is January, with a fall of 66 mm (2.59 inches). The recorded wettest period of the valley was from the middle part of 2004 to the middle part of 2005, in which almost 150 mm (6 inches) of precipitation fell in total, leading to short-lived lakes in the valley and the area and marvelous wildflower blossoms.