64 
The American Geologist. 
February, 1896 
Topography. 
The area examined forms a portion of the Great basin, 
offering both in climate and physical features a marked con¬ 
trast to the country tying on the opposite side of the Sierra 
Nevadas. On the west these mountains rise with their pre¬ 
cipitous scarp 6,000 to 10,000 feet above the valleys at their 
base. Eastward there occurs a series of ranges following a 
direction rudely parallel with the Sierra Nevadas. Thus in 
the northern part of the Mojave desert the low ranges run 
northeast and southwest. Farther north the course is north 
and south, finally becoming northwest and southeast through 
central and northern Inyo county. The valleys between these 
mountains form depressions successively lower towards the 
east until Death valley is reached. Salt Wells and Owen’s 
valleys lie directly at the base of the Sierra Nevadas. The 
former has an elevation of about 2,700 feet, the latter aver¬ 
ages over 4,000. The Panamint and Salinas valleys lie east 
of the Argus and Inyo ranges respectively. The former val¬ 
ley has an elevation in its lowest portion of 1,200 feet, while 
Salinas valley is probably lower. East of the Panamint 
valley is the Panamint range, and that is followed by Death 
valley which lies below the sea level. The Sierra Nevadas 
rise from about 8,000 feet near Walker’s pass to over 14,000 in 
the Mount Whitney region and decrease in hight but little 
for more than a 100 miles northward. The Inyo range reaches 
an elevation of 10,000 feet, the White mountains of over 
14,000, the Argus range 9,000, and the Panamint 10,000. The 
country is thus seen to be traversed by high ranges, which 
show in places very precipitous fronts and deep transverse 
canons. The valleys between, often containing alkali flats, 
are bordered by long talus slopes extending back to the moun¬ 
tains. They were occupied undoubtedly by lakes at no very 
remote geological time. 
Sedimentary Formations. 
These are divisible into two distinct classes. (1). Those 
which are comprised in the metamorphic series, including 
strata ranging in age from the Cambrian, according to Wal¬ 
cott, down through the Triassic. (2). The unaltered Tertiary 
and Quaternary beds. 
