Surface Geology, Paleoenvironment, and Paleoclimate of Stonewall Mountain, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

Summary

Field studies for geomorphology, paleoenvironment, paleohydrology, plant ecology, and isotope geology were conducted at Stonewall Mountain and Stonewall Flat during the spring and summer of 2010 in support of Nellis AFB archaeological and ethnographic studies of the Stonewall Mountain region. These studies revealed natural resources for water, shelter, lithic tools, sulfur, and certain earth pigments exist at Stonewall Mountain and the Goldfield Hills. The playa in Stonewall Flat hosted a robust marsh and wetland environment supported by both groundwater and surface water over 10,000 years ago. The wetland environment contained many useful wetland plants, as well as provided water and game resources. This wetland diminished with changing climate conditions at the beginning of the Holocene (circa 10 ka), and disappeared completely around 7 to 8 ka. Alluvial fan surfaces in Stonewall Flat range in age from a few hundred years to over 86,000 years old, and mature desert pavement surfaces have been stable for as much as 40,000 years. Alluvial fan surfaces in Stonewall Flat darken with age as desert pavement and rock varnish develop. The plant communities on the alluvium fall into two distinct groups; communities dominated by annuals thrive on juvenile fan surfaces lacking pavements, and communities dominated by woody shrubs thrive on mature fan surfaces characterized by desert pavement. Intermediate and mature fan surfaces are very stable and can preserve cultural sites of any age, whereas the juvenile sites are not stable and potentially preserve only historic sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Nellis Air Force Base Cultural Resources Archive   •
• Nellis AFB - Survey Reports

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Contact(s): Nellis Air Force Base CRM Manager

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