1915 Pleasant Valley, Nevada Earthquake Centennial Field Trip - October 3, 2015

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology will lead a free, half-day field trip to Pleasant Valley and the 1915 fault rupture on Saturday, October 3, 2015. The trip will consist of a short overview talk about the earthquake in Winnemucca followed by a vehicle caravan with two stops in the earthquake area. The excursion is 100-miles round trip to an area where there are no services, including no cell phone services. We ask that attendees car pool as much as possible and make sure vehicles making this trip are in good condition with good tires, a spare, and a jack. Much of the trip is on gravel roads. The trip will be limited to the first 80 people who sign up; however, a guide book will be available on the 1915 earthquake centennial web page for those interested in making the trip on their own. All participants of the field trip, including children, must complete and sign a waiver and are responsible for themselves. Bring a lunch and wear sturdy walking shoes and long pants (gators are recommended) since there will be a short cross-country hike along the fault.

The trip will start with a short overview talk at the Sarah Winnemucca Conference Room in the Humboldt General Hospital, 118 E. Haskell Street, Winnemucca, Nevada at 10:00 a.m. Please park on the street or at the park, and do not park in patient parking. At 11:00 a.m., we will leave Winnemucca and travel south to Pleasant Valley. There are two stops with the first along the way for an overview of the fault scarps along the range front, the geology, and the history of the area. We will enjoy lunch at this stop. The second stop will be at the fault scarp where it crosses Golconda Canyon. At this stop, we will talk about the earthquake, the fault scarp, shaking effects, and the history of the town of Kennedy. For those interested, we will take a short walk along the fault scarp to see the different ways it ruptured the ground and see evidence of paleo earthquakes.

Sign-up form | Field trip waiver| 1915 earthquake centennial web page