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Granite Mountains (California)
Encyclopedia
The Granite Mountains is a small mountain range
in San Bernardino County, California
, USA, located in the Mojave Desert
.
They are in the Mojave National Preserve
, in the National Park Service
system.
and historic Route 66
. The Providence Mountains
are adjacent to the northeast. The Bristol Mountains
are directly to the west, the Old Woman Mountains
are to the southeast, and Pisgah Crater
and the Bullion Mountains
are to the southwest. The Mountains lie east of the small community of Kelso
, northeast of Ludlow
, and north of Amboy
.
The range stretches from Granite Pass (34°48′44"N 115°36′37"W) to Budweiser Wash (34°49′16"N 115°45′32"W).
lie in the Granite Mountains. These granitic
rocks have eroded into unusual rounded shapes that include spires, perched boulders, and curved cliff faces.
Granitic rocks represent the roots of ancient continental-margin volcanic systems. Most of the granitic rock in the Mojave Desert is late Mesozoic
in age (80 to 180 million years old). The granites formed at depth within a volcanically active mountain range comparable in geologic setting to the Andes
chain in South America
.
The granitoids formed by the slow cooling and solidification of molten magma
bodies that developed above sinking slabs of oceanic crust
overridden by the edge of the continent. At least 55 or 60 million years elapsed between the crystallization of the last Mesozoic
magma bodies and deposition of the youngest-preserved overlying strata.
Several spring
s exist in the Granite Mountains, though they may not flow year round.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, USA, located in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
They are in the Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
, in the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
system.
Geography
The Granite Mountains are north of Interstate 40Interstate 40 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles,...
and historic Route 66
U.S. Route 66 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 66 is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.-History:U.S...
. The Providence Mountains
Providence Mountains
The Providence Mountains are found in the eastern Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, U.S. The range reaches an elevation of at Edgar Peak and is home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, and the Mojave National...
are adjacent to the northeast. The Bristol Mountains
Bristol Mountains
The Bristol Mountains are found in the Mojave Desert of California, USA, just west of Mojave National Preserve. The range, which reaches an elevation of 3,874 feet , is located in San Bernardino County, and crosses Interstate 40 between Ludlow and the Granite Mountains...
are directly to the west, the Old Woman Mountains
Old Woman Mountains
The Old Woman Mountains are located south of the town of Essex, California, and north of Danby Dry Lake. The range reaches an elevation of at the northeastern end , and lies in San Bernardino County in the Mojave Desert.-Geography:...
are to the southeast, and Pisgah Crater
Pisgah Crater
Pisgah Crater, or Pisgah Volcano, is a young volcanic cinder cone rising above a lava plain in the Mojave Desert, between Barstow and Needles, California in San Bernardino County, California. The volcanic peak is around south of historic U.S...
and the Bullion Mountains
Bullion Mountains
The Bullion Mountains are located in the Mojave Desert of California southeast of the city of Barstow. The mountain range stretches for approximately 50 miles in a northwest-southeasterly direction north of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms....
are to the southwest. The Mountains lie east of the small community of Kelso
Kelso, California
Kelso is a ghost town and defunct railroad depot in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California, USA. It was named after a railroad worker who won a contest to have the town named after him...
, northeast of Ludlow
Ludlow, California
Ludlow is a small town in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 40, located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The older remains of the ghost town are along historic Route 66.-Geography:...
, and north of Amboy
Amboy, California
Amboy is an unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, in California's Mojave Desert, west of Needles and east of Ludlow on historic Route 66. It is roughly 60 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms.-Geography:...
.
The range stretches from Granite Pass (34°48′44"N 115°36′37"W) to Budweiser Wash (34°49′16"N 115°45′32"W).
Geology
Some of the more striking rock formations in the Mojave National PreserveMojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
lie in the Granite Mountains. These granitic
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rocks have eroded into unusual rounded shapes that include spires, perched boulders, and curved cliff faces.
Granitic rocks represent the roots of ancient continental-margin volcanic systems. Most of the granitic rock in the Mojave Desert is late Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
in age (80 to 180 million years old). The granites formed at depth within a volcanically active mountain range comparable in geologic setting to the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
chain in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The granitoids formed by the slow cooling and solidification of molten magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
bodies that developed above sinking slabs of oceanic crust
Oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's lithosphere that surfaces in the ocean basins. Oceanic crust is primarily composed of mafic rocks, or sima, which is rich in iron and magnesium...
overridden by the edge of the continent. At least 55 or 60 million years elapsed between the crystallization of the last Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
magma bodies and deposition of the youngest-preserved overlying strata.
Several spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s exist in the Granite Mountains, though they may not flow year round.
See also
- Category: Mojave National Preserve
- Category: Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert
External links and sources
- America's Volcanic Past - Mojave National Preserve (USGS PD source)