Tuesday, February 3, 2009

So That's Where the Name Comes From


Imagine the stereotypical desert oasis: a small island of trees and precious water in the midst of an arid expanse. A glimmer of green amongst the rocks and sand.

Such oases do exist. And today we learned their origin. Aquifers often stretch below deserts, their life-giving water trapped by layers of impermeable rock or clay. But those layers sometimes break -- e.g., in an earthquake -- and water pushes its way to the surface. When that happens, cue the trees -- you've got yourself an oasis -- an oasis of palms growing around springs.

In short, Palm Springs owes both its name and its existence to the San Andreas Fault.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting to know the history of the name Palm Springs. Looks amazing. Keep the stories coming.

    -Owen

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  2. That is very interesting. So now we know one of the true reasons for earthquakes...hahahaha. Thanks for the pics.

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