10 interesting facts about Death Valley

Being one of the driest, lowest and hottest places on Earth, Death Valley is known as a place of extremes. But it is also a place of surprises, history, geological anomalies and, despite its name, life. So if you are planning to visit this surreal landscape one day or are just intrigued, here are 10 incredible things about Death Valley that you might not know about.

• 10. Highest recorded temperatures

  Much of Death Valley's fame comes from its reputation as one of the hottest places on Earth and one of the driest in North America. And on July 10, 1913, the highest temperature ever recorded was at Furnace Creek, where it reached 57 degrees Celsius. This figure is still the official world record. However, the reliability of this measurement has been questioned.

  Since then, especially in recent years, as if not stopping and striving to re-assert itself as the hottest place on Earth, Death Valley has been "stamping" potential records for the highest reliably recorded temperature. First on August 16, 2020, when temperatures near the Furnace Creek Visitor Center hit 129.9°F (54.38°C). Then, just a year later, temperatures reached an astonishing 130°F (54.44°C). Just imagine a place where the average monthly temperature does not drop below 100°F (37.77°C) - in June 2021 the average daily temperature was 102.8°F (39.33°C).

• 9. Tsunamis and earthquakes

  Devil's Hole is a water-filled geological formation in Nye County. In 1952, the authorities turned this isolated cave with its geothermal pool into a separate part of the Death Valley National Park. This was done to protect the native carp (pupfish), an ancient fish that can only be found here. But apart from rare fish, there is something unique and strange in the water. This is what you will only see if you are at the right moment.

  As it turns out, the Devil's Hole has proven to be an unusual indicator of seismic activity around the world. Indeed, it is known that during strong earthquakes at such a great distance as in Japan, Indonesia and Chile, the water in the Devil's Hole "splashes", like water in a bathtub. In some cases, it was reported that water splashed on the walls, rising up to 2 meters in height, washing out the shallow water shelf, so important for the carp. In fact, earthquakes around the world can create a "tsunami" in Death Valley.

• 8. A large number of ghost towns

  During the 19th and 20th centuries, dozens of mining towns appeared in Death Valley, many of which were formed as a result of the gold and silver rushes. But of the many towns that appeared, few were destined to exist for a long time. Indeed, some of these cities, such as Chloride City, lasted only a year. Today, only traces of these cities remain, such as tin buildings and concrete foundations. Others have completely disappeared.

  One of the more infamous mining towns was Panamint, founded by criminals who gave up their life of crime after discovering silver in the Panamint Mountains. And although in 1874 the city was in the prime of its formation, with a population of 2,000 people, the silver rush ended after more than a year. And in 1876 the city was destroyed by a flash flood.

• 7. Stones that move on their own

  The desert area known as Racetrack Playa is one of the most distinctive features of Death Valley. And it is all because in this place there are a large number of stones that seem to move by themselves. These stones, known as "moving stones", range in size from 100 grams to hundreds of kilograms. Although no one has seen them move with their own eyes, these stones leave "footprints" behind them, and their position has been observed to change. This led many to believe that they were actually moving.

  The mystery of these moving stones has baffled people for a long time. But in 2014, a team of researchers captured these rocks in motion for the first time using time-lapse video. From this video, scientists concluded that strange movements occur due to the freezing of rainwater and accumulation behind the stones. Driven by light winds, this ice then slowly pushes the rocks forward.

• 6. The lowest point on the earth's surface in North America

  As if it wasn't enough to be the hottest and driest place in North America, Death Valley also lays claim to the title of the lowest point on the earth's surface in North America. The lowest point is in the Badwater Basin, located at an altitude of 855 meters below sea level. Once an ancient lake, the pool now covers over 518 square kilometers of salt marsh, creating a strange and surreal landscape.

  Although the lake is long gone, you can find a small spring pool and boardwalk. According to legend, the Badwater Pool got its name after a mule refused to drink from it. Of course, given how salty the water is, it's no wonder the animal refused.

• 5. The Death Valley got its name from pioneers

  Looking at the arid landscape of Death Valley, it's no wonder why this place has such a grim name. But there is also an interesting legend about the name of this area, which is rooted in real history.

  In the early 1800s, an adventurous group of trailblazers got lost on the Old Spanish Trail, leaving behind too much of a path to follow the better-known route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What followed was a horrendous and prolonged ordeal, and the thirsty crew survived only thanks to a snowstorm. Amazingly, the group managed to survive with minimal casualties (one person died), largely due to the fact that two of its members were trained as scouts. Legend has it that as they were leaving the valley, one of the men turned around and said, "Farewell, the valley of death!" Since then, the name took root.

• 4. An abundance of life forms in an extreme landscape

  It would seem that few things can survive in such an unfriendly place as Death Valley. But despite its name, Death Valley is home to all sorts of life, including coyotes, large (California) plantain cuckoos, bobcats, cougars, lizards, toads, and even desert tortoises. There are also many species of birds and bats and several endemic animals, including the previously mentioned carp and several varieties of beetles and snails.

  Although this desert hot spot has sand, the dunes make up only a tiny part of Death Valley. Surprisingly, you can also see mountains with snow-capped peaks, rocky canyons and open grasslands. Sometimes, when the right conditions are created, the arrival of spring causes incredible wildflowers to bloom. This bloom turns normally arid hills and valleys into seas of purple, gold, rose and white flowers full of life.

• 3. Scenes from Star Wars

  Star Wars may be set in a galaxy far, far away, but some of the scenes you saw in the popular fantasy saga were filmed in Death Valley. This is because the canyons and arid landscape of Death Valley proved to be a very suitable location for filming scenes taking place on the harsh desert planet of Tatooine, known to fans of the film as the home of Luke Skywalker.

  Two films from the original trilogy—Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1982)—have scenes that were filmed in Death Valley. And, if you know where to look, these places remain relatively unchanged today. As a result, many fans of the saga began to organize tours and make pilgrimages to these places in order to have the maximum opportunity to plunge into the Star Wars universe.

• 2. Ancient volcanic explosion

  Ubehebe Crater is a large volcanic crater about 183m deep and 800m wide from rim to rim that may have formed as little as 2,000 years ago. For the Timbisha Shoshone Indians, this crater is known as "Tem-pin-tta Wo'sah" and is an important cultural site. It is also notable for being a great place to visit at sunset, when the multi-colored rock layers become more visible.

  Craters like Ubehebe are maars. Maars result from steam and gas explosions that occur when hot magma reaches groundwater. Magma heats the water, turning it into steam, the pressure of which increases until, finally, an explosion and eruption occurs on the surface of the earth.

• 1. Scotty's Castle

  One of the most popular attractions in Death Valley is Scotty's Castle, a two-story Spanish villa in Grapevine Canyon (or Grapevine Canyon). But despite its name, it is not a castle or the property of the Scotty family. Although the person who gave it its name probably led many to believe otherwise.

  Building with an area of ​​2972 ​​sq. meter was built in 1927 by Albert Johnson, a wealthy insurance agent from Chicago. Albert was friends with a man named Walter E. Scott, a swindler and con man who became famous among the locals for his shameless lies and self-promotion. Although Scotty did live in this "castle", he never financed or owned the place. But he managed to convince many others of this. Moreover, to convince so much that Johnson had to go to great lengths to prove that it was he, and not Scotty, who owns the villa, when many victims of Scotty's fraud sued for ownership.

  In 2015, the castle was almost completely destroyed due to flooding, as the annual rainfall fell in Death Valley in one day. The castle, which is now owned by the National Park Service, is undergoing restoration and there are plans to reopen it to the public.