Friday, January 25, 2013

RonnieAdventure #0037 (Revision 1) - Highway 178, Roadside Geology, Inyo County, California

Fred H. sent me an email that confirms you can't trust everything that you read on the Internet or information that you get from geologists. Fred responded: "I have a book entitled Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley. There are 30 sites each of which gets a chapter with black and white photographs and an explanation. The third chapter discusses your specific spot which is called the Resting Springs Pass Volcanic Tuff. It is a formation of welded tuff. Basically it is gas-rich magma (mostly glass particles or pumice) explosively blown from a volcanic vent. When it hits the earth it is almost fluid-like and flows along the surface. If it is still very hot when it hits the ground, the residual heat melts glass which compacts and welds together (thus the name)."

Thanks for the information Fred!

No comments:

Post a Comment