Plate Tectonics

Death Valley National Park is a tectonically active location, located in California and Nevada between two active plates. The plates move in relation to each other, causing the Earth's crust to move, warp, and even break the Earth's crust.

A cinder cone is the most common type of volcano. The one found in Death Valley National Park is special, because it is split. This gives a view of plate tectonics at work.

Above: birth of San Andreas Fault

Above: Basin and range formation from crustal extension

Above: Badwater Basin and Panamint Mountains in the background