Geology of the Death Valley Region South Coast Geological Society

Located in the northeastern Mojave Desert at the southern end of Death Valley, the 276,480 acre Avawatz Mountains GRA encompasses an area of diverse geology and mineral resources. Thick sedimentary sequences of Precambrian, Precambrian-cambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks have been intruded by Jurassic volcanic rocks and Mesozoic plutonic rocks. During Tertiary time extrusive volcanics and hypabyssal dikes and plugs intruded all older rocks in the Soda Mountains. Sediment were again depo.sited in Tertiary time. A wide diversity of metallic and non-metallic minerals have been produced and prospected. The most profitable and productive deposits have been iron and talc, although gold and silver have been the most eagerly sought. Commoditie.s known from this area i nclude: iron, gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, molybdenum., bari te, talc, gypsum, salt, celestite, bentonite, and sand and gravel. There is poten~ial for uranium and zeo-lites. Presently iron is produced and there is renewed exploration for silver in the central Avawatz Mountains. r:IGURE 1. INDEX t1AP AVAhATZ MOUNTAI NS GF.~1 RESOl!RCF, ARE