Joshua Tree National Park: Geologic and Soil Resources Inventory Summary
Harrington M. 2025. Joshua Tree National Park: Geologic and Soil Resources Inventory Summary. National Park Service
This document summarizes the status of National Park Service (NPS) Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) and Soil Resource Inventory (SRI) deliverables for Joshua Tree National Park. It also provides information on current geology and soil resources management concerns, with a focus on identified inventory needs related to geologic heritage, geohazards, and related soil features and processes. The purpose of this document is to help park staff prioritize technical assistance or new inventory and assessment funding requests in the near term (roughly 1–5 years). The GRI hosted a scoping meeting for Joshua Tree National Park in 2003. Baseline bedrock and surficial geologic maps were delivered to the park in 2022. The SRI delivered a legacy soil database and map to the park in 2013. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is in the process of completing soil surveys for the five NRCS areas that cover the area of the park. Two are complete. Geologic heritage resources of particular interest include Indigenous connections, ranching and early settlement, mining, and recreational climbing. Inventory needs include the location and recovery rate of desert crusts, groundwater quality, paleontological resources, and documentation of geoheritage resources. Soils in the park are found in the basins and valleys between mountain ranges and granitic outcrops. Inventory needs include soil monitoring, assessments of nitrogen deposition from air and water influx from Los Angeles, and the relationship between soils, geology, and the Cholla Cactus Garden. Geohazards are present in the park and include flash floods, landslides, earthquakes, and subsurface hazards. Inventory needs include potential rockfall sites and flash flood hazard zones.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Harrington, Matthew
- Date of Issue
- 2025-01
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GRI , JOTR , MOJN , PWR , SRI
- Keywords
- Abandoned Mineral Lands, AML, Climbing, Geologic Features, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Heritage, Geologic History, Geologic Processes, GIS, GSRI, Map Units, Mining, Resource Management
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Windblown Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Hillslope Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Geothermal Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Cave/Karst Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Volcanic Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Seismic Activity , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Soil Quality | Soil Function and Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Paleontology | Paleontology