Death Valley is bounded by normal faults on the east and west sides and by strike slip faults on the northern and southern ends. If movement on these faults, and the faults that they are connected to along the western margin of the Basin and Range Province, continues with similar displacement rates and directions what is the likely outcome for the Death Valley region? Could the development of the Gulf of California and separation of Baja California from mainland Mexico give us a clue? For this exam assignment you will write an essay of about 1000 words predicting the future of the Death Valley region over millions of years. To answer this you will need to investigate when the Gulf of California opened, the rate and direction of motion that Baja California is moving compared to North America, and what tectonic plate the Baja Peninsula is part of today. On the basis of current plate motions could similar events and processes occur in the Death Valley region? Think about what tectonic plate most of the State of California will be part of in approximately 5 or 10 million years if the plate motion continues in the same way. Could the Los Angeles area wind up adjacent to Reno, Nevada?
