An Abrasive Situation
In February 1976, a four-day storm dropped 2.3 inches of rain at Furnace Creek. On the last day of the storm, a violent downpour caused a surge of water, mud, and rock to flow through these narrows.Such sediment-laden floods work like sandpaper, cutting away and undermining the rocky canyon walls. In narrows such as these, flood waters are constricted and the speed increases. If you look closely at the walls of the canyon. you will see a coating of mud that indicates the height of the water that has moved through these narrows.
Flash floods like these have been shaping the canyons of Death Valley for millions of years.
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| GLOSSARY | > abrasion, alluvial fan, canyon, flash flood, sediments, , |
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Coating of mud on lower canyon wall shows storm water level