2. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (CA)
• Two hours northeast of downtown San
Diego, away from the ocean and
foothills, you’ll find a living laboratory of
earths evolution.
• It is the largest state park in California
covering 600,000 acres.
• 20,000 feet of sediment has been deposited in
the course of 7 million years
(Anza Borrego Travel Blog, 2012)
4. A Link to the Past
• This Desert Chuckwalla
lizard lives in the ABDSP.
• This species of reptile is
native to the desert
regions of southern
California and Arizona.
• In it’s natural setting it
bears a passing
resemblance for it’s
extinct cousin, the
dinosaur.
(Desert Gazette, 2012)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:0703Chuckwalla.JPG
5. Split Mountain
The magnificent http://www.backroadswest.com/anza/2011/11/split-mountain/
badlands in the park
look like a moonscape
but function as a
measurable
demonstration of how
the earth was formed
with both a visible rift
valley and continental
plate boundary.
6. Clam Shell Fossils
• Some 20,000 feet of
sediment has been
deposited in 7 million
years, leaving a ripe
fossil bed for
academic study.
• Over 500 types of
fossils have been
discovered in the
park.
(Jefferson, 2012)
http://tinyurl.com/brdemga
7. Stromatelite
Stromatelites are formed
when sediments are
trapped within
photosynthesizing
cyanobacteria- also called
blue/green algae- in areas
of high salinity
concentrations as you’d
find in the Salton Sea.
(Monroe, 2009). http://www.abdnha.org/pages/12brag/co_stromatelite.htm
8. Fulgurite
When lightning greater
than 1800° strikes sand-
which is in abundance in
the desert- it can form a
hollow glass tube called a
Fulgurite.
(What is a Fulgurite, 2012)
http://www.abdnha.org/pages/12brag/co_fulgurite.htm
9. Gone Today, Here Tomorrow
• The geologic activity
along the many fault lines
in southern California
means that on a regular
basis new features are
revealed in the desert.
• In fact, a 3.4 magnitude
tremor occurred just one
month ago only 9 miles
from Borrego Springs.
(Phys, 2012)
http://www.anzaborregopaleo.org/PARK_GEOLOGY.html
10. Conclusion
Several years ago I had the “pleasure” of living in
the ABDSP- the town of Borrego Springs- when I
worked at the now defunct La Casa del Zorro
Resort. It is a beautiful but unforgiving place
which demonstrates how small man is
compared to the earths magnificence. In fact,
fewer and fewer men choose to live there but
the evolution continues unabated.
11. References
Anza Borrego Travel Blog, (2012)
http://www.backroadswest.com/anza
Desert Gazette (2012). Chuckwalla
http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/chuckwalla.html
Jefferson, George T. (2012) Fossil Treasures of the Anza Borrego Desert
http://www.borregospringschamber.com/abdsp/fossils.htm
Monroe, James S. (2009). The Changing Earth, 5th Edition
Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole
Phy, Melissa (2012). 3.4 Magnitude Earthquake Near Borrego Springs Felt in Ramona
Ramona Patch
http://ramona.patch.com/articles/3-4-magnitude-earthquake-near-borrego-springs
What is a Fulgurite (2012)
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_Fulgurite
