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Geology of the Great Basin
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The reason that the Great Basin exists is largely tied to the geologic character
of the region itself. Throughout the Great Basin deep valleys separate large
mountain ranges. The boundaries between the valleys and the mountains are
denoted by faults. Strands of mountain ranges with adjacent parallel faults
and parallel trending valleys define the fabric of the land. This pattern
repeats itself over and over throughout the Great Basin and because of this
character the region is also called the "Basin and Range" country.
The Sierra Nevada range bounds the Great Basin on the west. It is
a very high mountain range. The rest of the basin is generally lower in elevation. Because the Sierra Nevada is so high, it creates a rain shadow effect that imparts desert-like conditions on much of the Great Basin.
Within the eastern Sierra Nevada, the Basin and Range begins. The Sierra
represents a giant horst as will be described below.
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Geology of the Great Basin
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