Nevada

Geology in our State

Minerals in Nevada• We mine for:

– Gold– Silver– Copper– Gypsum– Lime– Diatomite– Limestone– Perlite– Magnesite– Lithium– Silica– Oil

Geology of Nevada• In this state we have several different

types of rocks

• Nevada is

tectonically active

Great Basin• Formed from:

Stretching of Earth’s crust.

• System of mountains that run north /south and valleys. Water drains into this area.

• http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/index.htm• http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grba/

Snake Range

• Formed from deposits left by a shallow sea

• Later the mountain was shaped by glaciers

• http://www.nps.gov/archive/grba/parkgeology.htm

Lake Tahoe

• Formed from falling of fault blocks

• http://ceres.ca.gov/tcsf/tahoe-local/geology.html• http://www.tahoevacationguide.com/laketahoe.html

Sierra Nevada Mountains• The area was

originally covered by a shallow sea.

• Due to a convergent plate boundary a magma pool formed and hardened into granite which was uplifted by faults. Later the mountains had a series of volcanic events.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Nevada_(US)• http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/pacifmt.html

Spring Mountain Range

• Formed from the Keystone Thrust Fault

• http://meganedwards.com/Vegasland/Spring-Mountain-State-Park.htm

Red Rock Canyon

• Was once a shallow sea.• Area was a desert with sand dunes

that petrified and oxidized.• http://www.sunsetcities.com/redrockgeology.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Canyon_National_Conservation_Area

Valley of Fire

• Formed from sand dunes and wind erosion (Abrasion)

• http://www.sunsetcities.com/valleyoffire.html

• http://www.desertusa.com/nvval/du_nvval_desc.html

Hoover Dam• Dam made to

supply hydroelectric power. (Renewable resource)

• Hoover dam is on the Colorado river.

• It formed the man made Lake Mead