This week, we will head to the Silver State just outside the city of Las Vegas. Let me take you on a journey of geology and history through one of Nevada’s most magnificent state parks, the Valley of Fire!
Molly Turko
Structural Geologist, Devon Energy
Exploring the Valley of Fire State Park Outside of Las Vegas Nevada
Willow Tank thrust fault (in white) at the base of the cliff. Courtesy of Molly Turko
As the name would suggest, the bright red, orange, and yellow eolian sandstone, the Jurassic age Aztec, creates jagged mountains shaped by wind and erosion, giving the modern appearance of a “valley on fire.”
Area geology:
More than 500 million years ago and throughout the Paleozoic, thick carbonates were deposited in the western United States.
In the Mesozoic, this once marine environment turned into a dry desert with vast sand dunes making up Jurassic Aztec sandstone.
The fun part happened in the Cretaceous when a large thrust sheet overrode the area during the Sevier Orogeny, particularly the Muddy Mountain and Willow Tank thrust faults. Remnants of this thrust fault are still seen today within the park.
Lastly, the area was impacted by Basin and Range extension during the Cenozoic, which resulted in a series of strike-slip faults on various scales.
Be sure to check out the larger ones visible in Google Earth.
Read even more about the geology and hiking in the Valley of Fire State Park inside the second article here.
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The human impact of storms
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Geos checking out the view over the White Dome Trail.Courtesy of Molly Turko
The Valley of Fire features several hiking options through geological features of interest. It is also known for petroglyphs created by Puebloans approximately 2,000 to 4,000 years ago. Some of them can be seen along a wall on the west side of the road at Mouse’s Tank Picnic area.
My two favorite hiking trails are the White Domes and the Fire Wave. Let’s take a look at what you’ll see on each one!
The White Dome Trail
The White Domes trail is a moderate, roughly one-mile loop filled with spectacular views and a slot canyon! Start by trekking down the sandy path, but be sure to hike up the overlook on the leftfor a great view of the paleo-sand dunes, as shown in the picture!
Keep your eyes peeled for deformation bands. They’re everywhere and are shear fractures that have undergone catalysis (grain crushing) versus shearing/sliding along a plane. These guys can kill the permeability of a porous sandstone!
The spectacular shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple are alteration-associated geochemical changes that tell a beautiful story of fluid flow during multiple tectonic events.
Go deeper: Learn more here and be sure to examine how these color changes are impacted by deformation bands.
Be on the lookout for some incredible Proto-Riedel shear zones along the north tip of the trail. These initiate as en echelon bands that have an antithetic sense of slip to the main shear zone. A spectacular one can be found at the coordinates: 36.488043°, -114.534231°
Fun Fact: The 1966 Western film "The Professionals," starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, and Claudia Cardinale, was filmed along the White Domes Trail, and remnants from the movie set are still there today!
The Fire Wave Trail
This is the kind of trail made for trailblazing and venturing where the rocks lead you! I recommend starting this approximately one-mile, out-and-back trail from the north parking lot, as this is in close proximity to the Will Tank Thrust.
Look for a white “stripe” along the base of the hill immediately east of the parking lot. This is bleaching along the Willow Tank thrust sheet.
Those little dark-colored pebbles you’re walking all over were derived from the Paleozoic carbonates that once rode on top of the Willow Tank thrust! The darker rocks you see in the distance (looking east) are Paleozoic Carbonates sitting on top of Jurassic Aztec.
Trek a little further down the trail, and you will soon find out why it's named the “Fire Wave.” The stark red and white contrasts in the sandstone make you feel like you’re walking on a candy cane!
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