Almost every one of us was abroad on vacation in Turkey, Egypt, Thailand or Europe. But unfortunately, we know much less about the sights and some interesting facts about the United States . Let's try to fill this gap and get acquainted in absentia with one of the hottest places on the planet - Death Valley, which is in the state of California, USA.
Geographical features of the Death Valley in the USA
The Valley of Death is called an intermontane gorge located in the west of the country, in the Mojave Desert area. A noteworthy fact is that the Death Valley is by far the hottest area on the planet - in 2013 the maximum temperature was recorded here, equal to 56.7 ° C above zero. Here is also the lowest point on the entire North American continent (86 m below the sea level) under the name Bedwater.
The Valley of Death is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. In fact, it is part of the Province of the Valleys and Ridges, so-called geologists. The highest mountain, located near the Valley of Death, has a height of 3367 m and is called Telescope Peak. And nearby is the famous mountain Whitney (4421 m) - the highest point in the US, while located just 136 km from the above-named Badwater point. In short, the Death Valley and its environs are a place of geographic paradoxes.
The maximum temperature in the Valley is kept in July, rising in the afternoon to 46 ° C, and at night - to 31 ° C. In winter it is much cooler here, from 5 to 20 ° C. From November to February in the Valley often there are heavy downpours, and sometimes there are even frosts. This may seem surprising, but the Death Valley is a place fit for life. Here lives an Indian tribe, known as a timbish. The Indians settled here about a thousand years ago, although today there are not many of them, just a few families.
The Valley of Death belongs territorially to the National Park of the USA, bearing the same name. Before the park was given an environmental status, gold mining was conducted in this area. In 1849, at the time of the gold rush, a group of travelers crossed the gorge, seeking to shorten the way to the California mines. The transition was difficult, and, having lost one person, they called this area the Valley of Death. In the 1920s the park gradually began to become a popular tourist center. It is the habitat of rare species of animals and plants adapted to a desert climate.
In the Valley of Death, episodes of many modern movies were shot, such as "Star Wars" (4 episode), "Greed", "Robinson Crusoe on Mars", "Three Godparents" and others.
Moving stones in the Valley of Death (USA)
Unusual climate is far from the most interesting in the Valley of Death. The great curiosity of both scientists and ordinary inhabitants is caused by moving stones that were discovered on the territory of the local dry Lake Reystrake-Playa. They are also called creeping or sliding, and that's why.
Above the muddy surface of the former lake, there is a dolomite hill, from which huge boulders weighing tens of kilograms periodically fall. Then - due to still unexplained reasons - they begin to move along the bottom of the lake, leaving behind a long and clear traces.
Many scientists have tried to understand the reasons for the movement of stones. Various hypotheses have been put forward - from strong winds and magnetic fields to the impact of supernatural forces. The most mysterious fact is that not all stones from the bottom of the Reystrake-Playa are moving. They change their location, not succumbing to any logic - in one season they can move to hundreds of meters, and then lie years in one place.
If you want to see this miracle of nature with your own eyes, boldly arrange a visa and go on a fascinating journey through the United States of America!