Geologic Map of the Death Valley Ground-water Model Area, Nevada and California

This digital geologic and tectonic database of the Death Valley ground-water
model area, as well as its accompanying geophysical maps, are compiled at
1:250,000 scale. The map compilation presents new polygon, line, and point
vector data for the Death Valley region. The map area is enclosed within a 3
degree X 3 degree area along the border of southern Nevada and southeastern
California. In addition to the Death Valley National Park and Death
Valley-Furnace Creek fault systems, the map area includes the Nevada Test Site,
the southwest Nevada volcanic field, the southern end of the Walker Lane (from
southern Esmeralda County, Nevada, to the Las Vegas Valley shear zone and
Stateline fault system in Clark County, Nevada), the eastern California shear
zone (in the Cottonwood and Panamint Mountains), the eastern end of the Garlock
fault zone (Avawatz Mountains), and the southern basin and range (central Nye
and western Lincoln Counties, Nevada). This geologic map improves on previous
geologic mapping in the area by providing new and updated Quaternary and
bedrock geology, new interpretation of mapped faults and regional structures,
new geophysical interpretations of faults beneath the basins, and improved GIS
coverages. The basic geologic database has tectonic interpretations imbedded
within it through attributing of structure lines and unit polygons which
emphasize significant and through-going structures and units. An emphasis has
been put on features which have important impacts on ground-water flow.
Concurrent publications to this one include a new isostatic gravity map (Ponce
and others, 2001), a new aeromagnetic map (Ponce and Blakely, 2001), and
contour map of depth to basement based on inversion of gravity data (Blakely
and Ponce, 2001).

This map compilation was completed in support of the Death Valley Ground-Water
Basin regional flow model funded by the Department of Energy in conjunction
with the U. S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. The proposed model
is intended to address issues concerning the availability of water in Death
Valley National Park and surrounding counties of Nevada and California and the
migration of contaminants off of the Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain
high-level waste repository. The geologic compilation and tectonic
interpretations contained within this database will serve as the basic
framework for the flow model. The database also represents a synthesis of many
sources of data compiled over many years in this geologically and tectonically
significant area.