Kingston Peak, Mojave Desert, California

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Hide... View from Kingston Peak, which stands above the desert between Death Valley and Nevada, January 20, 1984. Starting with the view north to the snowcapped peak of Mt. Charleston in the Spring Mountains on the skyline and looking clockwise. Between the Kingston Range and the Spring Mountains is Pahrump Valley; the bright white streak more northeast are tailings from talc mining in the Kingston Range. To the east, over the light-colored knobs, is the playa of Mesquite Valley; beyond it, the southern end of the Spring Mountains continues south as the Clark Mountains start to rise on this side of Mesquite Valley. Farther right and to the south is fairly smooth Shadow Valley wit Cima Dome just touching the skyline beyond. A bit farther right are the Providence Mountains on the skyline. Farther right and due south are the Shadow Valley Hills. Over the right edge of these hills is Silver Lake (playa), the sink of the Mojave River in very wet years. The distant skyline is probably the San Bernadino Mountains. Above and farther right of the next prominent playa (Silurian Lake) is the broad hump of the Avawatz Mountains. Farther right are the Dumont Dunes, beyond which is the gap where the Amargosa River turns into southern Death Valley with the Owlshead Mountains beyond. Continuing rightward past due west is Telescope Peak on the skyline just above the left edge of the light colored Tecopa Lake Beds. A bit more to the right rise the Black Mountains; between them and Telescope is Death Valley. Completing the circuit, the Resting Spring and Nopah ranges are behind nearby peaks of the Kingston Range.

Geologically, this is a complex area. The nearby rocks (best seen to the east) are from a Precambrian basin that includes evidence of Snowball Earth episodes. The Spring and Clark Mountains are the southwestern end of the dramatic overthrusts of the Cretaceous Sevier fold-and-thrust belt. Pieces of these thrusts are found in the ranges to the north and west where they have been transported by Neogene extentional faulting. The precise role of the 12.4 Ma Kingston Peak Granite remains unclear, but landslides from it are found west to the edge of Death Valley.