Other Articles: Interstate 15: Shore of Lake Manix  

Literature Cited:
- Reynolds, Robert E., and Jennifer Reynolds, 2000. Field trip stop in Afton Canyon  

Locations: Afton Canyon.  

The Mojave River passes beneath the trestle and then travels south around the large bedrock ridge that blocks its path to the east and makes the Mojave River form a giant meander. Looking east, the railroad tracks pass through a large V-shaped gap in the bedrock obstruction. Prior to 1957 the tracks passed through the ridge in a tunnel. But deteriorating tunnel timbers and repeated rock slides caused largely by aftershocks from the 1947 Manix earthquake caused the Union Pacific railroad to daylight the tunnel (Reynolds and Reynolds, 2000).

Literature Cited:
- Reynolds, Robert E., and Jennifer Reynolds, 2000. "Norms Nook," a slot canyon tributary to Afton Canyon    

This slot canyon shows the rapid incision that has occurred since Afton Canyon formed. This tributary has incised in response to the rapidly lowered base level of Afton Canyon. Vertical incision occurred first, and the meandering of the stream from side to side is responsible for the overhangs. When the stream reaches a reasonable longitudinal gradient, a significant widening of the channel develops. Eventually the overhangs break off and the channel walls become vertical (Reynolds & Reynolds, 2000).

Other Articles: Basin Road: 60000  

Literature Cited

Location records referred to by this literature:

• Afton Canyon, San Bernardino County, California.

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Date and time this article was prepared: 5/15/2008 12:32:19 PM