Lake Manly
As Lake Manly a prehistoric is lake called that in the Pleistocene today's Death Valley in the State of California completed. At the time of its greatest expansion 186,000 to 128,000 years ago, it reached a length of about 150 kilometers and a maximum depth of 180 meters.
The lake was named in honor of Williams L. Manly , a participant in the first settlers' march through Death Valley in 1849, who explored the region and saved the lives of many members of the tour group.
The lake dried up before the beginning of the Holocene , and the basin has been partially refilled several times since then due to climate fluctuations. None of the subsequent lakes reached the extent of Lake Manly. When the water evaporated, minerals were precipitated, especially salts, the deposits of which now cover the valley floor. In particular, the Devil's Golf Course and Badwater date back to the prehistoric lake. Further traces of the lake can be found on the valley walls: at the height of the former water level, terraced steps can be seen in some places.
Web links
- Philip Stoffer: Changing Climates and Ancient Lakes . USGS, US Department of the Interior 2004 (accessed November 11, 2009)
- USGS: Shoreline Butte - Ice Age Death Valley (accessed November 11, 2009)
Coordinates: 36 ° 13 ′ 11.7 " N , 116 ° 49 ′ 38.1" W.