Paleohydrologic investigations in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain: Late Quaternary paleobotanical and polynological records

Covering a large swath of the American West, the Great Basin, centered in Nevada and including parts of California, Utah, and Oregon, is named for the unusual fact that none of its rivers or streams flow into the sea. This fascinating illustrated journey through deep time is the definitive environmental and human history of this beautiful and little traveled region, home to Death Valley, the Great Salt Lake, Lake Tahoe, and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Donald K. Grayson synthesizes what we now know about the past 25,000 years in the Great Basin—its climate, lakes, glaciers, plants, animals, and peoples—based on information gleaned from the region’s exquisite natural archives in such repositories as lake cores, packrat middens, tree rings, and archaeological sites. A perfect guide for students, scholars, travelers, and general readers alike, the book weaves together history, archaeology, botany, geology, biogeography, and other disciplines into one compelling panorama across a truly unique American landscape. The Great Basin, Centering On Nevada And Including Substantial Parts Of California, Oregon, And Utah, Gets Its Name From The Fact That None Of Its Rivers Or Streams Flow To The Sea. This Book Synthesizes The Past 25,000 Years Of The Natural History Of This Vast Region. It Explores The Extinct Animals That Lived In The Great Basin During The Ice Age And Recounts The Rise And Fall Of The Massive Ice Age Lakes That Existed Here. It Explains Why Trees Once Grew 13' Beneath What Is Now The Surface Of Lake Tahoe, Explores The Nearly Two Dozen Great Basin Mountain Ranges That Once Held Substantial Glaciers, And Tells The Remarkable Story Of How Pinyon Pine Came To Cover Some 17,000,000 Acres Of The Great Basin In The Relatively Recent Past.these Discussions Culminate With The Impressive History Of The Prehistoric People Of The Great Basin, A History That Shows How Human Societies Dealt With Nearly 13,000 Years Of Climate Change On This Often-challenging Landscape--provided By Publisher. Pt. 1. The Great Basins -- Pt. 2. Some Ice Age Background -- Pt. 3. The Late Ice Age Great Basin -- Pt. 4. The Last 10,000 Years -- Pt. 5. Great Basin Archaeology -- Pt. 6. Conclusions. Donald K. Grayson. Rev. Ed. Of: The Desert's Past. C1993. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "The Great Basin, centering on Nevada and including substantial parts of California, Oregon, and Utah, gets its name from the fact that none of its rivers or streams flow to the sea. This book synthesizes the past 25,000 years of the natural history of this vast region. It explores the extinct animals that lived in the Great Basin during the Ice Age and recounts the rise and fall of the massive Ice Age lakes that existed here. It explains why trees once grew 13' beneath what is now the surface of Lake Tahoe, explores the nearly two dozen Great Basin mountain ranges that once held substantial glaciers, and tells the remarkable story of how pinyon pine came to cover some 17,000,000 acres of the Great Basin in the relatively recent past. These discussions culminate with the impressive history of the prehistoric people of the Great Basin, a history that shows how human societies dealt with nearly 13,000 years of climate change on this often-challenging landscape"-- Provided by publisher