Posted on 12/01/2004 10:36:19 AM PST by cogitator
Two GREAT views of the Grand Canyon and Bandelier NM and environment. Arizonans, I'd like you to check the larger version of the Arizona image and see if you can identify a particular weird feature. (See below the image for my question.) Click on each image to see the larger version.
Grand Canyon in Snow (Larger version is 2.1 MB.)
In the larger version, to the west of the lower Grand Canyon and southeast of Lake Mohave and a small mountain range, there's a flat light-brown patch. Does anyone know what that is, or is it an image artifact?
Bandelier National Monument and environs
Since I'm a volcano guy... in the upper left portion of this image is the Jemez caldera, one of the largest calderas in the world and certainly the largest in the U.S. The semi-circular features around it are resurgent domes (like the one inside the Mt. St. Helens crater). The dissected valley terrain southeast of the caldera, flowing down to the Rio Grande (part of which Los Alamos is on) is the eroded Bandelier Tuff, deposited in a massive supervolcanic eruption. The Bandelier NM cliff dwellings are made out of the Bandelier tuff.
** ping **
SO9
I just noticed that you can also see the San Francisco Peaks in the full-size Grand Canyon image (lower right).
I know they got alot of rain out there last week (when Vegas got all that flooding)...maybe it is runoff into a dry lake bed?
Area 51 - but don't worry, the government has said it doesn't exist.
That's what it looks like to me too. The lower edges matche the profile of the wash leading into it. As well, the upper wash, leading out of it, also follows the same contours. Plus, there is a color gradation where the washes enter and exit the patch. If it was an artifact, I'd expect it to have sharper edges.
cool!!
"...In the larger version, to the west of the lower Grand Canyon and southeast of Lake Mohave and a small mountain range, there's a flat light-brown patch..."
That is a playa, flooded by runoff from recent rains.
There are a variety of estimates available, but the best estimate I could find puts the diameter of Jemez, better known as Valles, Caldera at about 20-24 km. Yellowstone has three overlapping calderas, so while the whole area may be larger, the individual calderas aren't quite as large as Valles. (So I understand -- obviously this is an area subject to geological interpretation.)
That's what the discussion was indicating. Pretty big playa. Examination of Arizona maps does not indicate that there's anything in this area (i.e., it's empty).
My goal is to learn something new every day. Looks like I did today.
Kingman to Williams on Route 66
"Beyond Kingman, US 66 follows alongside the Santa Fe railway across the rather barren landscape of the Hualapai Valley, a very wide flat plain that stretches northwest for over 50 miles towards Lake Mead. There is a long sandy side-track (Antares Road), fine for normal vehicles, that passes many scattered ramshackle dwellings typical of the Arizona desert, all surrounded by rusty machinery, abandoned outbuildings and old cars. Other features of interest include Red Lake, a colourful dry lake bed, and large forests of Joshua Trees around the north end of the road, near the junction with the main route to Pearce Ferry."
Not to be confused with Red Lake, AZ, north of Williams. I found one other site that indicated that a salt cavern under the playa may be developed for natural gas storage -- and this confirmed that the playa is indeed Red Lake.
I even found a map of Red Lake! I promise that you'll be impressed. ;-)
There are so many areas in Arizona that "come to life" when it rains, and are so pretty! During the monsoons, we drive up to what is called "Grand Falls". It is part of the Little Colorado River...when it rains, you have these beautiful waterfalls in what would normally be a dried up river bed. You can actually hike down to the bottom of the falls, and there is a cave behind the falls you can go in and watch it from the backside.
I even found a map of Red Lake
That's interesting! I guess I learned something new today too! Thanks!
Send it to Richard Hoagland at Enterprise Mission. I'm sure he'll have an, er, interesting explanation.
;-)
Surely you can't be serious, Dr. TomB.
And don't call me Shirley.
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