Title: In search of tufa, tuff, and tough rocks: Guide for the Earth Science Week field trip, October 15 or 16, 2011

Author: J.G. Price and D.D. LaPointe
Year: 2010
Series: Educational Series 50
Version:
Format: 19 pages, brochure with 4 color maps and 19 color photos
Scale:

October 16 or 17, 2010; Explore several tufa formations around Winnemucca Lake's perimeter left exposed following diversion of part of the Truckee River's water for use in the Newlands Irrigation Project.

National Earth Science Week 2010 encourages people everywhere to explore the natural world and learn about the geosciences. Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology welcomes you to participate in its thirteenth annual Earth Science Week field trip. We will travel from Reno east on Interstate 80 to Fernley and north to Winnemucca Lake where we will explore several tufa formations left exposed around the lake’s perimeter following diversion of part of the Truckee River’s water for use in the Newlands Irrigation Project. From here we will continue traveling east to the Nightingale Mountains where we will visit the historic Nightingale Mining District where tungsten and other minerals were mined in the early 1900s. We will return to Reno via one of two alternate routes, one of which will take us by the historic Bradys Hot Springs on Interstate 80, now used to power a geothermal energy plant, or the other route via Sutcliffe on Pyramid Lake and the Pyramid Highway. Along the way, we will visit several sites where we can examine and collect a wide variety of interesting rocks that help earth scientists unravel the geologic history of the area surrounding Reno and Pyramid Lake.

Related publications:
The Tufas of Pyramid Lake (USGS Fact Sheet 2004-3044)
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3044/

The Tufas of Pyramid Lake, Nevada (USGS Circular 1267)
https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/1267/

Original Product Code: E50