What took place here that caused so many steep, jagged mountain ranges alternating with long, flat valleys? How long ago did this happen? Is there any other place on earth that has a basin and range province?
2007-03-12 00:12:36 · 3 answers · asked by Zeppfan35 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The Great Basin is considered by geologists to be in the process of stretching and cracking. Although elevated, the crust here is actually relatively thin, and getting thinner. Some geologists speculate that the East Pacific Rise rift zone may be destined in the distant future to split the Great Basin, possibly by way of the Imperial Valley, letting the sea in from the Gulf of California.
2007-03-12 04:19:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It appears that this is a culmination of the rift between the Pacific and North American plates. The crust is thinning in the region and may eventually split open and become a sea.
Bye bye Las Vegas.
2007-03-12 07:55:44 · answer #2 · answered by gebobs 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
extension.
2007-03-12 23:06:05 · answer #3 · answered by magnetic__reversal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋