The Grandstand
Encyclopedia
"The Grandstand" is a monolith
located on the Racetrack Playa
north of Death Valley
in the Cottonwood Mountains
of Death Valley National Park
in Inyo County, California
.
The darker rock Outcrop
is the only vertical landmark in the bright and flat expanse of the 8 square kilometre Racetrack Playa.
whose north end is only 15 inches (38.1 cm) higher than the southern end. The Racetrack Playa is at an elevation of 3608 feet (1,099.7 m) above sea level
, and is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long (north-south), and 21.3 miles (34.3 km) wide (east-west).
-Monzonite
, also called Adamellite
. It is an igneous rock
, forming from volcanic action. Quartz monzonite consists of quartz and the two types of feldspar
, but has less quartz than the 20% in granite
. Such composites having less than 20% quartz composition are referred to as granitoids. It was formed during the Pleistocene
era, as were Ubehebe Peak and the Panamint Range
Mountains to the west, and the Cottonwood Mountains to the east.
On the south side of The Grandstand, obvious signs of wave-cut erosion are visible, creating a noticeable overhang of 30 feet above the Racetrack Playa's elevation. The formation indicates the Racetrack Playa region experienced much more precipitation
in past geologic eras.
While now rising imposingly out of the surface of the Racetrack Playa, the outcropping is dwarfed by the height of the surrounding mountains. It is the bright sedimentation forming the playa surface surrounding the darker Grandstand that creates its prominence.
Great Blue Heron
have been sighted atop the highest part of the Grandstand, en-route in migration.
provides parking and descriptive signage, and docents provided a bench here to view the Grandstand, Racetrack Playa, and to the east the Cottonwood Mountains
.
The lakebed surface is usually dry and can be freely walked upon, however Rangers request that visitors not walk on the surface when it is moist enough to leave distinctive footprints.
No camping is allowed on or adjacent to the playa, however "primitive camping" is permitted to the north and south of the area. Ubehebe Crater
is another distinctive geologic feature and visual landmark in this northern section of the park also. To the west are the Saline Valley and Eureka Valley Sand Dunes
in a more remote section.
Monolith
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
located on the Racetrack Playa
Racetrack Playa
The Racetrack Playa, or The Racetrack, is a scenic dry lake feature with "sailing stones" that leave linear "racetrack" imprints. It is located above the northwestern side of Death Valley, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, U.S.....
north of Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
in the Cottonwood Mountains
Cottonwood Mountains
The Cottonwood Mountains range is found in Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California, U.S.The range lies just to the northwest of the Panamint Range at the top of Death Valley, and run in a north-south direction....
of Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
in Inyo County, California
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
.
The darker rock Outcrop
Outcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
is the only vertical landmark in the bright and flat expanse of the 8 square kilometre Racetrack Playa.
Description
The Grandstand of this dark outcropping against the white surface of the Racetrack Playa is a very distinct contrast, making the Grandstand easily discerned from great distances. The prominence can also be easily seen from commercial airflights flying within 100 miles (160.9 km), even at 40000 feet (12.2 km) above.Geography
The Grandstand is located in the northwest corner of the Racetrack Playa and rises as the only intrusion, rising 20 metres (65.6 ft)high above the very flat and bright light surface of the playaDry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
whose north end is only 15 inches (38.1 cm) higher than the southern end. The Racetrack Playa is at an elevation of 3608 feet (1,099.7 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long (north-south), and 21.3 miles (34.3 km) wide (east-west).
Geology
The Grandstand is composed of QuartzQuartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
-Monzonite
Monzonite
Monzonite is an intermediate igneous intrusive rock composed of approximately equal amounts of sodic to intermediate plagioclase and orthoclase feldspars with minor amounts of hornblende, biotite and other minerals...
, also called Adamellite
Quartz monzonite
Quartz monzonite is an intrusive igneous rock that has an approximately equal proportion of orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars. The plagioclase is typically intermediate to sodic in composition, andesine to oligoclase. Quartz is present in significant amounts. Biotite and/or hornblende...
. It is an igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
, forming from volcanic action. Quartz monzonite consists of quartz and the two types of feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
, but has less quartz than the 20% in granite
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...
. Such composites having less than 20% quartz composition are referred to as granitoids. It was formed during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
era, as were Ubehebe Peak and the Panamint Range
Panamint Range
The Panamint Range is a short rugged fault-block mountain range on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California, United States.-Geography:...
Mountains to the west, and the Cottonwood Mountains to the east.
On the south side of The Grandstand, obvious signs of wave-cut erosion are visible, creating a noticeable overhang of 30 feet above the Racetrack Playa's elevation. The formation indicates the Racetrack Playa region experienced much more precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in past geologic eras.
While now rising imposingly out of the surface of the Racetrack Playa, the outcropping is dwarfed by the height of the surrounding mountains. It is the bright sedimentation forming the playa surface surrounding the darker Grandstand that creates its prominence.
Natural history
As with the rest of Death Valley, the Racetrack and The Grandstand receive very scant rainfall, about a total of 2 inches in most years. The Grandstand is slightly cooler, being 3000 feet (914.4 m) higher than the floor of Death Valley, however summer temperatures are commonly in "triple digits" during summer. Winds can be extreme also, due to the north-south exposure, as the "moving rocks" on the Racetrack demonstrate.Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
have been sighted atop the highest part of the Grandstand, en-route in migration.
Visiting
The Grandstand is easily accessed from the gravel access road, to its west and leading past the Racetrack. The National Park ServiceNational 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...
provides parking and descriptive signage, and docents provided a bench here to view the Grandstand, Racetrack Playa, and to the east the Cottonwood Mountains
Cottonwood Mountains
The Cottonwood Mountains range is found in Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California, U.S.The range lies just to the northwest of the Panamint Range at the top of Death Valley, and run in a north-south direction....
.
The lakebed surface is usually dry and can be freely walked upon, however Rangers request that visitors not walk on the surface when it is moist enough to leave distinctive footprints.
No camping is allowed on or adjacent to the playa, however "primitive camping" is permitted to the north and south of the area. Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater is a large volcanic crater of the Ubehebe Craters volcanic field in the northern half of Death Valley, in Death Valley National Park, California.-Geography:...
is another distinctive geologic feature and visual landmark in this northern section of the park also. To the west are the Saline Valley and Eureka Valley Sand Dunes
Eureka Valley Sand Dunes
The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes are located in the southern part of Eureka Valley, in northern Inyo County in eastern California, in the southwestern United States...
in a more remote section.
See also
- Geology of the Death Valley areaGeology of the Death Valley areaThe exposed geology of the Death Valley area presents a diverse and complex set of at least 23 formations of sedimentary units, two major gaps in the geologic record called unconformities, and at least one distinct set of related formations geologists call groups...
- Places of interest in the Death Valley areaPlaces of interest in the Death Valley areaPlaces of interest in the Death Valley area are mostly located within Death Valley National Park in eastern California.-Artist's Drive and Palette:...
- Category: Death Valley
- Category: Geography of Inyo County, California
- Category: Rock formations in California
- Category: Flora of the California desert regions