| Big Maria Mountains | |
|---|---|
| Maria Grandes | |
 A view of the Big Maria Mountains from theParker Valley | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,383 ft (1,031 m)[1] |
| Geography | |
  Big Maria Mountains | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | Riverside County |
| Range coordinates | 33°51′0″N114°42′3″W / 33.85000°N 114.70083°W /33.85000; -114.70083 |
| Topo map | USGS Big Maria Mountains SW |
TheBig Maria Mountains are located in the southeastern part of theU.S. state ofCalifornia, near theColorado River andArizona. The range lies betweenBlythe andVidal, and west ofU.S. Route 95 in California and east ofMidland. The mountains are home to the Eagle Nest Mine and reach an elevation of 1,030 m (3,380 ft). A power line that runs fromParker Dam toYuma, Arizona runs through the range. A smaller range, theLittle Maria Mountains, lie to the west of the Big Marias.
The Big Marias are anArea of Critical Environmental Concern administered by theBureau of Land Management.[3]
The Big Maria Mountains are one of several ranges that constitute theMaria fold and thrust belt (MFTB). The MFTB underwent generallythick-skinned (involvingbasement rocks) north–south trending crustal shortening in theCretaceous. The structures of the MFTB are exposed by to later generally east–west trending large-scale crustal extension in theMiocene, through what is known to geologists as theColorado River Extensional Corridor
This north–south shortening is anomalous, as crustal shortening in the rest of theNorth American Cordillera is oriented generally east–west because of the generally east–west compression that was due to the subduction of theFarallon plate under western North America. Also unlike the rest of the North American Cordillera, deformation in the MFTB involved rocks of theNorth American Craton, most notably theGrand Canyon sequence of sedimentary rocks.
Foxtail cactus (Escobaria vivipara subsp.) andCalifornia barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) dot the landscape, and a Burro mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus var.eremicus) herd relies on theColorado River for survival.[4]
The Big Maria Mountains Wilderness Area is managed by theBureau of Land Management for recreation andnature reserve protection.
The terrain of the Big Maria Mountains within the wilderness area varies from gently slopingAlluvial fans (bajadas) to numerous rough, craggy peaks disjointed by steep canyons. The northern boundary lies south of a major drainage known as Big Wash, and the eastern edge parallelsU.S. Route 95 in California and theColorado River. The west and south boundaries followpower lines and contours along the base of the mountains.[4]
TheBureau of Land Management also manages the Rice Valley Wilderness in and near the Big Maria Mountains.
The broad, flat plains of Rice Valley and the northwestern tip of the steep and rugged Big Maria Mountains lie within the borders of this wilderness. A system of smalldunes rising 30 to 40 feet above the surface form a long, narrow band running through the middle of the valley floor. The valley is part of a massiveErg-sand sheet which extends fromCadiz Valley throughWard Valley, representing a part of one of the largest dune systems in theDesert Region of California. The Big Maria Mountains rise above the valley to an elevation of 2,000 feet.[5]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBig Maria Mountains Wilderness.Bureau of Land Management. RetrievedMarch 4, 2016.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
