Detailed mapping of the ibex pass region, death valley, CA: constraints for neogene deformation project period: 01/14/2026 through 05/01/2027 this proposal is to conduct detailed mapping in the ibex…

Detailed mapping of the ibex pass region, death valley, CA: constraints for neogene deformation project period: 01/14/2026 through 05/01/2027 this proposal is to conduct detailed mapping in the ibex pass area of death valley, CA. Additionally, there is a component of geochronology and updating of previous mapping within the study area. The southern death valley region is an ideal area of study for continental extension, however, there are still many questions regarding the magnitude and timing of extension and transtension in the region. The ibex pass basin contains a suite of volcanic and landslide deposits that have been used in previous reconstructions of the region. However, there is still no consensus on the stratigraphy of the basin and, as such, the correlative deposits in southern death valley used in past reconstructions. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the deposits in ibex pass, along with the timing of their deposition, is vital to understanding the extensional history of southern death valley. There is also a complex array of faults throughout ibex pass which, while partially mapped, are poorly constrained in terms of offset and relative timing. The project herein addresses these gaps by proposing a month of detailed mapping, using modern digital mapping techniques, cross-section development, and correlation with previous mapping. This work will be done by a graduate student and an undergraduate assistant, under the guidance of the P.I. Mapping will take place primarily in the ibex spring and ibex pass 7.5? Quadrangles, with a geologic map of the lower ibex pass 7.5? Quadrangle being a primary deliverable of this project. Two samples for 40AR/39AR geochronology and two samples for tephrochronology will also be collected from the study area, focusing on exposed tuff deposits which have been used in previous regional correlations. These results will then be combined with previous mapping, which itself will be updated to the gems schema as part of this project and delivered as an esri geodatabase. Taken together, this project will be a valuable dataset in a key area for regional extensional models.