Title: Death Valley National Park - Wikipedia
Headings: Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Contents
Geographic setting
Climate
Human history
Early inhabitants and transient populations
Boom and bust
Early tourism
Protection and later history
Geologic history
Basement and Pahrump Group
Rifting and deposition
Compression and uplift
Stretching and lakes
Biology
Activities
See also
References
Explanatory notes
Citations
Bibliography
External links

Content: Sediment is deposited on a small and steep alluvial fan. At 282 feet (86 m) below sea level at its lowest point, Badwater Basin on Death Valley's floor is the second-lowest depression in the Western Hemisphere (behind Laguna del Carbón in Argentina ), while Mount Whitney, only 85 miles (137 km) to the west, rises to 14,505 feet (4,421 m) and is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. This topographic relief is the greatest elevation gradient in the contiguous United States and is the terminus point of the Great Basin 's southwestern drainage. Although the extreme lack of water in the Great Basin makes this distinction of little current practical use, it does mean that in wetter times the lake that once filled Death Valley ( Lake Manly) was the last stop for water flowing in the region, meaning the water there was saturated in dissolved materials. Thus, the salt pans in Death Valley are among the largest in the world and are rich in minerals, such as borax and various salts and hydrates. The largest salt pan in the park extends 40 miles (64 km) from the Ashford Mill Site to the Salt Creek Hills, covering some 200 square miles (520 km 2) of the valley floor. The best known playa in the park is the Racetrack, known for its moving rocks. Climate
A cross section through the highest and lowest points in Death Valley National Park
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Death Valley National Park has a Hot Desert Climate ( BWh ). The plant hardiness zone at Badwater Basin is 9b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 27.3 °F (-2.6 °C). Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America due to its lack of surface water and low relief.