User:Rmalloch/sandbox

In 1999, geologists drilled a 186-meter deep core into the Death Valley floor near Badwater Basin. The core has shed light on the contemporary understanding of Lake Manly’s age and clearly divided Lake Manly’s history into six distinct time periods. The six time periods all clearly corresponded to the climate in Death Valley, which was the driving force behind Lake Manly’s formation and disappearance.

1. 192 to 186 ka--The climate was dry and the ground was dominated by saltpans or shallow ephemeral lakes.

2. 186 to 120 ka--The climate was relatively cold with abundant inflow, the first primary manifestation of Lake Manly and the time during which it reached its maximum.

3. 120 to 60 ka--The climate was a dry period when mudflats stretched across the valley bottom.

4. 60 to 35 ka--The climate was cool, but relatively arid and without enough inflow to sustain anything but very shallow saline lakes.

5. 35 to 10 ka--The climate was cold and wet, allowing for consistent inflow that fed a perennial saline lake, the second primary manifestation of Lake Manly.

6. 10 ka to the present--The climate is dry and warm, so the minor inflow quickly evaporates, forming mudflats and salt flats.