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A Geyser is an example of Geothermal energy. Hot springs, lava, and fumaroles are natural examples of geothermal energy. Geothermal power is currently more common in homes and businesses, using geothermal heat pumps to control the temperature in the building.

Here are some other examples of Geothermal energy:

Example of how Geothermal Energy Works

Once you delve below the earth's crust, the ground is quite hot, and that heat is trapped underground. It is hotter the deeper you travel. The core of the earth is approximated to be 6,427km (4,000 miles) below the surface and is estimated to be 4200°C (7,600°F). Some of this heat is responsible for the formation process of the earth some four billion years ago. The heat that remains comes from the constant decomposition of natural radioactive materials underground. The earth's core is so hot that rocks melt in its fury, thus creating magma. The liquid form of rocks has a lesser density than the solid stones around it, and therefore it is forced upward toward the surface. When the pressure is particularly intense, the magma is forced through the vents, creating a volcanic eruption. However, this isn't as common as it might sound, but instead can be the cause for heated nearby rocks, which, in turn, heats the water that's been trapped within these rocks. When we apply heat to water, the molecules move, and this can create pressure, which, when it gets to the right temperature and pressure, forces the water up through the vents. The water collects into pools, which are what we refer to when we refer to hot springs. Or, if the water pressure is quite high, then geysers are the result. The water that doesn't make it to the surface, but instead wells up underground, is known as geothermal reservoirs. Water is pumped into an 'injection well,' o access the subsurface heat, which is then filtered through the cracks in these hot rocks. The water is then brought back up via a 'recover well,' which uses the pressure from the steam from the heated water. The steam is then cultivated and becomes the power source of electric generators. The water from the reservoirs must be tapped to produce energy from these geothermal resources. There are three ways to do this.

Direct Geothermal Energy

This is generally a method that is used where geothermal reservoirs and hot springs are prevalent in the area. Vents are manually created by drilling into the geothermal reservoirs and then used to pump the hot water directly into homes and buildings. A heat exchanger is used to pump the boiling water and transfers the heat from the hot water into the homes' or buildings' heating systems. The water returns to the geothermal reservoir where it reheats and thus continues the cycle.

Geothermal Heat Pump

Geothermal heat pumps are also referred to as ground source heat pumps. This pump acts as a central cooling and heating system which transports the heat from the ground to its destination, or from a home or building into the earth. It utilizes the heat from the earth in the winter and allows the heat to sink back into the ground during the summer months. Geothermal heat pumps work similarly to the standard heat pump. It, however, uses a high-pressure refrigerant to cultivate and transfer the earth's heat into houses, and then the heat from the houses into the ground. The difference between a geothermal heat pump and a traditional heat pump is that the latter harnesses heat and releases it externally, into the atmosphere. A geothermal heat pump will relocate the heat through long loops of pipe filled with liquid buried underground to move and shift the heat in and out of housing and buildings. Electric compressors and heat exchangers will be installed in buildings using this heating method, which suck up the heat from the piping and disperse it through the duct system of the building. This process reverses during hot, summer months: the pipes suck heat away from the building and allow the ground to absorb it.

Geothermal Power Plant

Geothermal Power Plants harness the heat from underground and use it as a means of generating electricity. The types of geothermal power plants vary. This method uses steam harnessed directly from the geothermic reservoirs. The steam is then transferred back to the geothermic power plants and pushes a turbine, which then triggers a generator and creates electricity. Using flash steam involves cultivating boiling water ranging from 148-371°C, by pulling it up from the geothermic reservoir via pipes that have been drilled down. Some of this water is converted into steam and sent to the turbines to power an electricity generator. This steam is then allowed to return to its water state when it cools and is directed back into the reservoir to continue the cycle after it reheats. A binary cycle uses only moderately hot water, which is transferred through a heat exchanger. The energy or heat that's within the water is then used to heat certain liquids such as isobutene, which has a lower boiling point than water. This liquid, once it reaches its boiling point, converts to steam, which is directed to a turbine to make the blades spin, thus powering the generator that creates electricity. The amount of geothermic energy that can be useful is reliant on a few factors, such as the general temperature that the water ranges from, the location, the rocks underground, and the amount of water that's pumped into the site. If the stones prove not to be the right temperature (not hot enough or are too quick to cool down), then this is problematic for geothermal power stations.

Geothermal FAQ

What are the benefits of Using Geothermal Energy?

There are a few things that make this an optimal option for sourcing energy. First and foremost, it is clean energy. The water and heat can be harnessed without any use of fossil fuels or sources such as gas, oil, or coal. The extraction fields are relatively low regarding carbon dioxide output, only producing a sixth of what pother relatively clean power plants produce (which are fueled by natural gas). Likewise, if there are any nitrous oxide or sulfur-bearing gases released, it is remarkably little. Another benefit is that this energy is in constant supply, any time, any day. While coal plants have an average availability of 75%, geothermal power plants have upwards of 90% availability. Finally, geothermal power is available locally, wherever there is heat to be harnessed. This eliminates the need for overseas oil drilling and retrieval, further removing a carbon footprint, while also limiting our demand for foreign oil.

Why is Geothermal Energy a Renewable Resource?

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource because of the cyclical nature of its cultivation and application. The earth's core is constantly generating heat, and thus creating these geothermic reservoirs, thus requiring no human assistance. Furthermore, any water that is taken from these reservoirs is returned or reinjected back in for reheating, and the cycle repeats.

Where is Geothermal Energy Available?

While the hydrothermal reservoirs, that is, the pools from which the hot water and steam are harnessed, are only located in the far western states of the U.S. for the most part, the earth's energy can be accessed almost anywhere via the use of geothermal heat pumps. By applying direct-use methods, electricity can be generated anywhere. Technology, in the meantime, is edging toward utilizing other world-wide geothermal resources such as magma or hot, dry rock as well.

What are the Environmental Impacts of Using Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal energy and technology provide many solutions to our environmental problems regarding our electrical needs. Some advantages over conventional methods of power generation include: The only that that geothermal flash plats release is extra steam into the atmosphere. There are no liquids or emissions at all discharged in geothermal plants. It is because of this that the latter is thought to be the technology to dominate the energy production of the future. In Santa Rosa, California, treated wastewater is pumped to the Geysers power plants and used as reinjection fluid into the geothermal reservoir. Any water that is used from the pool that contains salts and dissolved minerals is also used to reinject the reservoirs. The system of recycling used water will keep the reservoir functioning and relatively un-depleted through use.

Is It Possible to Deplete Geothermal Reservoirs?

When considering the longevity of geothermal reservoirs, we need only turn to the Larderello Field in Italy, which has had geothermal energy production since 1913. Likewise, the Wairakei Field in New Zealand has had this energy production in place since 1958, and the Geysers Field in California has been functional since 1960. A decline in pressure, as well as production, has been noted in some o the operating plants, and as a result, operators have reinjected water to maintain the pressure of the reservoir. As mentioned above, Santa Rosa in California utilize used, treated wastewater to ensure the longevity of the reservoir. This solution also allows for productive reuse of treated wastewater.

How Much Does Geothermal Energy Cost Per Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)?

The cost of geothermal energy per kWh can vary depending on the time and the plant. However, the Geysers in Santa Rosa, California, the power can range from $0.03-$0.035 per kilowatt-hour. However, a new plant built today would be more costly, about $0.05 per kWh, and might charge more during the time of day that the electricity is use (such as peak, high-demand hours).

What Are the Different Types of Geothermal Power Plants

There are three types of geothermal power plants in use currently, diligently utilizing hydrothermal fluids to electricity. These methods are flash steam, dry steam, and the binary cycle. How the conversion is used, or the type that is used is selected during development and can depend on the water's temperature as well as whether the substance used is in steam or liquid form.

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Examples of Geothermal Energy 2020 | Ablison Energy

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A Geyser is an example of Geothermal energy. Hot springs, lava, and fumaroles are natural examples of geothermal energy. Geothermal power is currently more common in homes and businesses, using geothermal heat pumps to control the temperature in the building.

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Research summary:
1. The dwelling option is limited. How would we balance private space with sharing space and made it pollution-free?
How would we access to electricity(energy source)?

How would we address our visions with different values, meanwhile somehow aligned with the value of the community of the site?

2. How do geographical features affect the conversion rate of renewable energy？ How to improve renewable energy efficiency based on geographical features？ What factors will influence our choice of shelter materials？

3. How to integrate with the  visual landscape, climate, natural habitats, community and culture of Northern Nevada to build a dwelling which achieve "authenticity of place"?

4. Under the extreme climate condition, how to explore the sustainable production of useful energy using local resource for the purpose of lighting, heating, cooling and sanitation, with zero greenhouse gas emission? Will the high desert climate impact the structure of dwelling?

5. What is the influence of our design in the long term? how long about its operational life? will it bring environmental pollution in the future? is it easy to be changed or redesigned according to the changeable environment?

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Check out the link to see what we highlighted in Miro and contribute

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Miro: the collaborative whiteboard platform for distributed teams

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Scalable, secure, cross-device and enterprise-ready team collaboration whiteboard for distributed teams. Join 7M+ users from around the world

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the positive and negative environmental impacts of solar power 

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the positive and negative environmental impacts of solar power 

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The Positive and Negative Environmental Impacts of Solar Panels

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An in-depth look at the environmental upsides and downsides of solar panels, including environmental impacts during the manufacturing and lifetime of the system

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Yellow tile:  Research Summary & Wireframe
Green tile: Design Brief
Blue tile: Context & Reference
Purple tile: other info

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Other team summary Highlights @8PM Sep.16

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Other team summary Highlights @8PM Sep.16

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T1: Water; Energy.
T2: us.
T3: Energy.
T4: Water; Shelter; Energy.
T5: Energy;
T6: Energy.
T7: Energy; Water.
T8: Shelter; Energy; Water;

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No standard agenda! Keep an eye(or ear)on the NOISE!

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No standard agenda! Keep an eye(or ear)on the NOISE!

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The combination of solar and wind energy systems for buildings applications

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The combination of solar and wind energy systems for buildings applications

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Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the “marshmallow problem” -- a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average?

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Paolo Soler

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The World's First Prototype Arcology PLEASE NOTE: Our Visitors Center hours are 9 am to 5 pm daily, with tours offered Thursday-Monday at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 2:00pm, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:00am and 2:00pm. The Café at Arcosanti is open Thursdays through Mondays from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Founded in 1970, Arcosanti is a project of The Cosanti Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world. At Arcosanti, we pursue this mission through experimentation and application of the principles of arcology, a combination of the words architecture and ecology that offers an alternative to urban sprawl.

Located in the heart of central Arizona, Arcosanti is only an hour's drive from Phoenix, Flagstaff, Prescott, and Sedona-an easy day trip or a convenient stopping point on any road trip. You can visit us in person almost every day of the year, enjoying guided tours, hiking trails, and a café where you can enjoy breakfast and lunch much of the week. We also invite you to explore our website, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletter to learn more.
Arcosanti is open to the public year-round. We are CLOSED New Year's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Learn More

Plan Your Trip Today

Cosanti Originals bronze and ceramic windbells are as much a part of our arcology as the architecture itself.

These world-famous chimes have been handmade at Arcosanti (and our sister site, Cosanti) by resident artisans from nearly the beginning, distilling our rich tradition of earth-cast and silt-cast structures into something that fits in the palm of your hand. Because the designs on every bell are hand-carved, each bell is a unique work of art.

Explore the bells in the gallery and gift shop in our Visitors Center seven days a week to find a favorite bell for yourself, and a perfect gift for any occasion. Weekday visitors to Arcosanti can also see the bells being made live in our bronze foundry and ceramics apse as part of our daily tours.

Plus, every bell purchased helps to support Arcosanti, Cosanti, and the mission of our parent nonprofit, The Cosanti Foundation.

Explore Our Bells

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Arcosanti | The World's First Arcology Prototype & Urban Laboratory

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Arcosanti is an ongoing experiment in the application of the principles of arcology (architecture + ecology), open to the public year-round.

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All text is available when you log in to your NSCAD account.

Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked Problems in Design Thinking. Design Issues, 8(2), 5-21. doi:10.2307/1511637

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Journal Information

The first American academic journal to examine design history, theory, and criticism, Design Issues provokes inquiry into the cultural and intellectual issues surrounding design. Regular features include theoretical and critical articles by professional and scholarly contributors, extensive book reviews, and illustrations. Special guest-edited issues concentrate on particular themes, such as artificial intelligence, product seminars, design in Asia, and design education. Scholars, students, and professionals in all the design fields are readers of each issue.

Publisher Information

Among the largest university presses in the world, The MIT Press publishes over 200 new books each year along with 30 journals in the arts and humanities, economics, international affairs, history, political science, science and technology along with other disciplines. We were among the first university presses to offer titles electronically and we continue to adopt technologies that allow us to better support the scholarly mission and disseminate our content widely. The Press's enthusiasm for innovation is reflected in our continuing exploration of this frontier. Since the late 1960s, we have experimented with generation after generation of electronic publishing tools. Through our commitment to new products-whether digital journals or entirely new forms of communication-we have continued to look for the most efficient and effective means to serve our readership. Our readers have come to expect excellence from our products, and they can count on us to maintain a commitment to producing rigorous and innovative information products in whatever forms the future of publishing may bring.

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The first American academic journal to examine design history, theory, and criticism, Design Issues provokes inquiry into the cultural and intellectual issues surrounding design. Regular features include theoretical and critical articles by professional and scholarly contributors, extensive book reviews, and illustrations.

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A year-round opportunity to explore the potential of the Burning Man community.

Burning Man Project and the Fly Ranch team have been monitoring developments related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Out of caution and care for our community, all Fly Ranch group activities and gatherings have been postponed. This includes nature walks, events, work weekends, and group trainings. We will reevaluate these offerings based on how this situation evolves, and will update you along the way. In the meantime, you can take a virtual nature walk , join our Facebook group, follow us on Instagram, and learn about our design challenge. Please stay safe, take all precautions, and look out for each other. ❤️

Each August, the annual Burning Man event transforms a desolate corner of northern Nevada into a thriving temporary metropolis fueled by creativity, experimentation, and awe. In 2016, the organization behind this city became the steward of Fly Ranch, a 3,800 acre property just north of the event site. This property is home to dozens of hot and cold springs, geysers, wetlands, animals, and more than 100 identified types of plants. The Fly Ranch project is an opportunity to create a year-round rural incubator for Burning Man culture and a catalyst for innovation and creativity in the world.

In the long term, the possibilities are vast. Fly Ranch will be able to expand Burning Man Project's activities and amplify the impact of creative culture in a world beyond Black Rock City. It can serve as an incubator for ideas from our temporary city and give them a real-world testing ground. It can become a place to experiment with shelter, energy, water, environmentalism, new models of living, working and governance.

Our major focus now is our sustainability design challenge. The Land Art Generator Initiative and Burning Man Project have partnered to launch a multi-disciplinary design challenge- LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch -that will create the foundational infrastructure of Fly Ranch. You are invited to propose your regenerative artwork in this stunning landscape. In 2021 selected design teams will be provided an honoraria grant for the purpose of building a functional prototype on site.

If you'd like to learn about what we're up to, check out the Fly Ranch Roadmap. You can join a nature walk to explore the property first-hand. Stay up to date with the Fly Ranch Newsletter and the blog or reach out to us at gro.namgninrubnull@hcnarylf.

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A year-round opportunity to explore the potential of the Burning Man community. Burning Man Project and the Fly Ranch team have been monitoring developments related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Out of caution and care for our community, all Fly Ranch group activities and gatherings have been postponed.

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Charles Joseph Minard
1869

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Guideline & reference

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Xavier W. Wang

Bio

Xavier is a devoted contemporary interdisciplinary designer, front-end developer, photographer, practitioner of traditional art, and aborigines from the very north of China.

Education

Hainan U. | Graphic design | BA.

Software compatibility

Adobe CC | Keyshot

Experience

Starting from NSCAD, my main design field has expanded to a broader level, including projects on the environment and human health and the future. Among them are system design, architectural design, speculative design, product design and other fields. Previous work experience was UI/UE project manager for IDC provider, mainly design progress monitoring, on-site customer support and customization, equipment maintenance, data integrity check.
Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat
I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaw people.

Thank you!

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Primary Site Boundary (185 acres)

The area in yellow is where most of your design focus should be directed.

While taking aims to preserve the beauty of the existing landscape, you are permitted to propose any intervention, sculpture, building, foundation, infrastructure, or conveyance within this area.

The Primary Site Boundary is one contiguous area, intended to provide opportunities for connections and circulation between the upper, middle, and lower sections of the site.

Any use permitted by Washoe County may be proposed here.

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Primary Site Boundary (185 acres) The area in yellow is where most of your design focus should be directed. While taking aims to preserve the beauty of the existing landscape, you are permitted to propose any intervention, sculpture, building, foundation, infrastructure, or conveyance within this area.

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1. How to integrate with the  visual landscape, climate, natural habitats, community and culture of Northern Nevada to build a dwelling which achieve "authenticity of place"?

2. Under the extreme climate condition, how to explore the sustainable production of useful energy using local resource for the purpose of lighting, heating, cooling and sanitation, with zero greenhouse gas emission? Will the high desert climate impact the structure of dwelling?

3. What is the influence of our design in the long term? how long about its operational life? will it bring environmental pollution in the future? is it easy to be changed or redesigned according to the changeable environment?

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The Black Rock Desert is a semi-arid region (in the Great Basin shrub steppe ecoregion) of lava beds and playa, or alkali flats, situated in the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, a silt playa 100 miles (160 km) north of Reno, Nevada, that encompasses more than 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) of land and contains more than 120 miles (200 km) of historic trails. It is in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan.

The Great Basin, named for the geography in which water is unable to flow out and remains in the basin, is a rugged land serrated by hundreds of mountain ranges, dried by wind and sun, with spectacular skies and scenic landscapes. The average annual precipitation (in the years 1971-2000) at Gerlach (in the extreme south-west of the desert) is 7.90 inches (200 mm).

The region is notable for its paleogeologic features, as an area of 19 th-century Emigrant Trails to California, as a venue for rocketry, and as an alternative to the Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah for setting land speed records ( Mach 1.02 in 1997). It is also the location for the annual Burning Man event.

The Black Rock Desert is part of the National Conservation Area (NCA), a unit of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The NCA is located in northwest Nevada and was established by legislation in 2000. It is a unique combination of the desert playa, narrow canyons, and mountainous areas.

Humans have been in Black Rock Desert since approximately 10,000 B.P. Around 1300 CE, the area was settled by the Paiute people. The Desert's namesake large, black rock formation was used as a landmark by the Paiute and later emigrants crossing the area. The landmark is a conical outcrop composed of interbedded Permian marine limestone and volcanic rocks. At its base is a large hot spring and grassy meadow, which was an important place for those crossing the desert headed for California and Oregon. In 1843, John Frémont and his party were the first white men to cross the desert, and his trail was used by over half of the 22,000 gold seekers headed to California after 1849. In 1867, Hardin City, a short-lived silver mill town, was established (now a ghost town).

Black Rock Point[7] with mirage

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, February 26, 2017, Sentinel-2 true-color satellite image, scale 1:190,000.

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, July 16, 2017, Sentinel-2 true-color satellite image, scale 1:190,000.

The Black Rock Desert region is in northwestern Nevada and the northwestern Great Basin. The playa extends for approximately 100 mi (160 km) northeast from the towns of Gerlach and Empire, between the Jackson Mountains to the east and the Calico Hills to the west.

The Black Rock Desert is separated into two arms by the Black Rock Range. It lies at an elevation of 3,907 ft (1,191 m) and has an area of about 1,000 sq mi (2,600 km ²).

There are several possible definitions of the extent of the Black Rock Desert. Often, people refer only to the playa surface. Sometimes, terrain which can be seen from the playa is included. The widest definition of the Black Rock Desert region is the watershed of the basin that drains into the playa. The intermittent Quinn River is the largest river in the region, starting in the Santa Rosa Range and ending in the Quinn River Sink on the playa south of the Black Rock Range. The watershed covers 11,600 sq mi (30,000 km ²), including the Upper and Lower Quinn River, Smoke Creek Desert, Massacre Lake, and Thousand Creek/Virgin Valley watersheds of northwestern Nevada as well as small parts across the borders of California and Oregon.

If the playa is wet for a month or so, then the shallow waters teem with fairy shrimp, or anostraca born of eggs that lie dormant in the silt crust for long periods of time-sometimes for many years. The edges of the playa and the Quinn River Sink stay wet longer than the rest of the playa, which concentrates the fairy shrimp and migratory birds in those areas. More than 250 species of neo-tropical migrant birds and many other water birds stop in Black Rock-High Rock Country for varying lengths of time. When wet, especially in spring, the playa is a favorite place for these winged visitors to rest and feed.

When it rains, the playa can become extremely sticky, bogging down four-wheel-drive vehicles. Some areas of the Black Rock are environmentally sensitive and closed to all vehicles.

Nevada's Humboldt, Pershing, and Washoe Counties intersect in the Black Rock Desert.

The following mountain ranges are within or border the Black Rock Desert region.

Calico Hills, Humboldt County, Nevada

The desert has numerous volcanic and geothermal features of the northwest Nevada volcanic region, including two Black Rock Points (west and east) at the southern end of the Black Rock Range and which have dark Permian volcanic rocks similar to another Permian black diabase dike formation in Nevada.

The portion of the Lake Lahontan lakebed in the Black Rock Desert is generally flat with Lahontan salt shrub vegetation, widely scattered hot springs, and a playa. In areas of the lakebed along mountains, rain shadow results in desert precipitation levels.

The continuous Fly Geyser of Fly Ranch is on private land and began in 1916,[37] when water well drilling accidentally penetrated a geothermal source.[38]

The playa of the Black Rock Desert lakebed is ~200 sq mi (520 km ²) within an area bounded by the Calico Mountains Wilderness (north), Gerlach (west), the Applegate National Historic Trail (northeast), and the Union Pacific Railroad (south). The "South Playa" (~30 sq mi, with ~13 sq mi (34 km ²) in Washoe County) is between Gerlach and the southwest boundary of the National Conservation Area (NCA), while the northeast NCA portion of the playa (including ~25 sq mi (65 km ²) in Humboldt County) is between the NCA boundary and the Applegate National Historic Trail. A Nobles route between Gerlach and Black Rock Hot Springs extends through the length of the playa. The playa's Quinn River Sink of ~3 sq mi (7.8 km ²) is where the Quinn River discharges/evaporates ~2.75 mi (4.43 km) south-southwest of Black Rock Hot Springs.

Prospecting and mining have occurred in the Black Rock region since the mid-19 th century. US Gypsum Corporation operated a gypsum mine and drywall manufacturing plant in Empire, which employed 107 people and produced 266,300 tons of gypsum in 2008.

Allied Nevada Gold Corporation re-opened the Hycroft Gold Mine in 2008 after acquiring it from Vista Gold Corp. Hycroft is an open-pit mining operation in the Kamma Mountains near Sulphur on the east side of the Black Rock Desert. An opal mine is at the base of the Calico Hills on the west side of the desert.

Bones of the mammoths that roamed the area around 20,000 BCE have been recovered. In 1979, a fossilized Columbian mammoth was found. Copies of the bones are now exhibited at the Nevada State Museum, Carson City.

The flatness of the Black Rock Desert's lakebed surface has led to the area's use as a proving ground for experimental land vehicles. It was the site of two successful attempts on the world land speed record:

In 1983, Richard Noble drove the jet-powered Thrust2 car to a new record of 634.015 mph (1,020.348 km/h). Noble also headed up the team that beat the Thrust 2 record.[49]

In 1997, ThrustSSC, driven by Andy Green, became the world's first, and so far[as of? ] only, supersonic car, reaching 763.035 mph (1,227.986 km/h).[50][51]

CSXT Space Shot, May 17, 2004

In addition to the flat surface, distance from populated areas and uncontrolled airspace over the area also attract experimentation with rockets. The following are highlights of amateur rocketry records set at Black Rock:

On November 23, 1996, the Reaction Research Society launched a rocket to 50 miles (80 km) in altitude, a significant leap in amateur rocket altitude records at the time.

On May 17, 2004, the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) launched a rocket to 72 miles (116 km) in altitude, which was the first amateur rocket to exceed the 62.14-mile (100.00 km) Kármán line required to claim a space flight.

Other rocket launches attempting various altitude records or space flights have occurred at Black Rock. In May 1999, JP Aerospace used a rockoon (balloon-launched rocket) in an unsuccessful suborbital space flight attempt covered by CNN. The rocket reached 75,000 feet (23,000 m), far less than the intended Kármán Line to reach space. CSXT made unsuccessful space launch attempts in 2000 and 2002 before the successful 2004 space flight. JP Aerospace returned to the desert in 2009, launching an armchair to the edge of space for Space Chair, an advertisement for Toshiba electronic products. On September 21, 2013, the University of Southern California's Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (USCRPL) launched its first space shot attempt, Traveler, intended to achieve a max altitude of 75 miles (121 km). The rocket experienced a catastrophic failure 3.5 seconds into the flight at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 m). If successful, Traveler would have been the first university/student-designed and built rocket to exceed the 62.14-mile (100.00 km) Kármán line required to claim a space flight. RPL's second attempt, Traveler II, flew in May 2014. It also failed catastrophically, approximately one second into the flight.

1914 WPRR map with Gerlach, Ascalon, Trego, Cholona, Ronda, and Sulphur, Nevada

More than ~15,000 years ago (15 tya), the Humboldt River flowed to the Smoke Creek-Black Rock Desert sub-basin, and during the recession of Lake Lahontan, the river diverted to the Carson Desert sub-basin. During the highest Lahontan water level (~12.7 kya), the lakebed was under about 500 ft (150 m) of water, under which sediment accumulated to form a flat lakebed.

Great Basin tribes inhabited the area approximately 10,000 B.P., and a Frémont Expedition encountered the site in 1843, but the Fortieth Parallel Survey (1867) conducted the first official exploration. In the late 1840s, Peter Lassen led California Trail emigrants through the desert's Applegate-Lassen Cutoff, an arduous route that took them hundreds of miles away from the gold lands of California. By 1910, Western Pacific's Feather River Route ( Oakland to Salt Lake City) had been completed across the east side of the lakebed on the "general route first explored by Lieutenant E.G. Beckwith in 1854". By 1927, the desert had been used for filming The Winning of Barbara Worth (the 2003 Mythbusters pilot episode was also filmed in the area).

In World War II, 973 sq mi (2,520 km ²) of the Black Rock Desert was used for a USAAF aerial gunnery training range, and post-war, the north region of the United States Navy's Lovelock Aerial Gunnery Range was in the Black Rock Desert area (the Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range had closed by 1964). In 1979, a fossilized Columbian Mammoth was found along the side of the lakebed.

The Dooby Lane art installation was created by DeWayne "Doobie" Williams between 1978 and 1992. Guru Road, located about 2 miles north of Gerlach on Highway 34, consists of a series of art installations that include aphorisms and the names of local residents carved in to rocks. Larger installations such as "Ground Zero", Elvis, Imagination Station - Desert Broadcasting System (where the windows are TV frames with different panoramas) are also present.

The first "Balls" rocket event was held at the desert in 1993, and in 1998, the first annual Gerlach Dash glider race from Reno to the desert was held. For its 30 th anniversary in 1994, the Black Rock Press (University of Nevada, Reno) published a book of desert photographs. The Friends of the Black Rock/High Rock organized in 1999, and a National Conservation Area Act the next year created several protected areas of the desert. Also in 2000, Lisa O'Shea died seven days after being scalded in Double Hot Springs when she attempted to rescue two dogs, and the Bureau of Land Management subsequently fenced "Double Hot".

Jack Lee Harelson was fined $2.5 million in 2002 for archaeological looting of Elephant Mountain Cave. In 2010, the Bureau of Land Management Winnemucca District Office completed a roundup of 1,922 wild horses in the Calico Mountains Complex, of which 39 died of malnutrition due to overgrazing.

From 1990 to 2019, and starting again in 2022, the Black Rock Desert playa has been the location for the Burning Man festival.

Lakebed during 2006 rocket launch

Nevada State Route 447 is the area's main highway and connects Gerlach to SR 427 at Wadsworth, Nevada, near Interstate 80. The desert's dirt roads are generally not usable in wet or snowy conditions. Old Highway 34 provides access to the playa on the west side and to the Hualapai Flat. Old Highway 48 (dirt) connects the playa to Lovelock, and Old Highway 49 (Jungo Road, dirt) provides access to the lakebed from the Sulphur and Jungo ghost towns.

The Union Pacific Railroad Elko Subdivision runs along the lakebed's east side between Sulphur and Gerlach. The railroad was constructed in the early 1900s as the Western Pacific Railroad Feather River Route.

Light aircraft have landed on the lakebed for events (the nearby Empire and Reno-Tahoe International Airports provide commercial service for the area).

1. Connolly, Thomas J.; Barker, Pat; Fowler, Catherine S.; Hattori, Eugene M. (July 2016). "Getting beyond the Point: Textiles of the Terminal Pleistocene/Early Holocene in the Northwestern Great Basin". American Antiquity. 81 (3): 490-514. doi:10.1017/S0002731600003966. S2CID 220444994. Elephant Mountain Cave (26HU-3557-sd2), ca. 9700 cal B.P.

2. ^ Naval Air Station Fallon Geothermal Energy Development for Generation of Electrical Power, Churchill County: Environmental Impact Statement, Part 2 (Report). United States Navy. p. 114. Layton suggests little use of the High Rock Country from ca. AD 200-1300, with the population possibly emigrating to Surprise Valley.

3. ^ Wheeler, Sessions S. (1978). The Black Rock Desert. Caxton Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-87004-258-4. When the first white man arrived, the region known as northwestern Nevada was occupied by the Northern Paiute people. Cave excavations have provided evidence that these Indians did not come to this section of the Great Basin until approximately 1,400 A.D. and that at least three other separate cultures of people preceded them.

4. ^ "Gianella, V. P., and Larson, E. R., 1960, Marine Permian at Black Rock, Nevada: Geol. Soc. Amer, Abstract of meetings, Vancouver" (PDF).

5. ^ "Black Rock Point". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

6. ^
a,b. "Black Rock Desert (863276)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior., Black Rock Point (838881), Big Mountain (Pahute Peak, 838751)

c. Wilderness areas: Black Rock Desert (2035060), Calico Mountains (2035079), East Fork High Rock Canyon (2035112), High Rock Canyon (2035154), High Rock Lake (2035155), Little High Rock Canyon (2035182), North Black Rock Range (2035228), North Jackson Mountains (2035230), Pahute Peak (2035240), South Jackson Mountains (2035306)

7. ^ "Thousand Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

8. ^ "Virgin Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

9. ^ Wyld, Sandra J; et al. (2007). "Identification of a Distinct Terrane in the Cordiller..." University of Georgia. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012.

10. ^ Bureau of Land Management. "DOI: BLM: National Home Page". . Archived from the original on January 6, 2009.

a. "Black Rock Desert Wilderness Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2011. 314,829 Acres

b. "Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area Act of 2000" (PDF). November 6, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 8, 2004.

c. Thompson, Jamie (December 16, 2004). "Hot Springs on Public Lands". BLM News. Winnemucca Field Office. Archived from the original on March 10, 2005.

d. Ross, Lisa (February 5, 2010). "BLM Concludes Calico Wild Horse Gather". News Release No. 2010-11. Winnemucca District Office. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010.

e. "Rock Collecting". Winnemucca Field Office. March 18, 2008. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009.

f. "Desert Survival Tips". April 27, 2007. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007.[clarification needed ]

g. "Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area". Archived from the original on November 9, 2014.

h "Questions and Answers (Q and As): Proposed Calico Mountains Complex Gather" (PDF). The Complex is located northeast of Gerlach, Nevada (in portions of Washoe and Humboldt Counties) and includes 5 Herd Management Areas (HMAs): Black Rock Range East, Black Rock Range West, Calico Mountains, Granite Range, and Warm Springs Canyon.

11. ^ "U. S. Gypsum Empire mine (Selenite quarry), Gerlach District, Pershing Co., Nevada, USA". mindat.org.

12. ^ "Little Joe opal mine (Black Rock mine; Little Jo mine), Donnelly District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA". mindat.org.

13. ^ "CSXT 2000...So Close and Yet So Far". Civilian Space eXploration Team. September 29, 2000. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.

14. ^ "Disappointed But Looking To The Future: Motor Failure Prevents Civilian Rocket From Reaching Space". Civilian Space eXploration Team. September 21, 2002. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011.

15. Clarke, Christine; "^ Behind the scenes: Toshiba "Space Chair" Archived 2010-12-25 at the Wayback Machine", Boards. 2009-12-14. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

16. ^ Earl, Phillip I (Winter-Spring 1988). "Hollywood Comes to the Black Rock: The Story of the Making of The Winning of Barbara Worth". Humboldt Historian.

17. ^ Lord, Ed; Mason, Clark. "2007 Gerlach Dash" (PDF). BASA Bugle. Bay Area Soaring Associates. Archived from the original (pdf-newsletter) on October 30, 2008.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Black Rock Desert is a semi-arid region (in the Great Basin shrub steppe ecoregion) of lava beds and playa, or alkali flats, situated in the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, a silt playa 100 miles (160 km) north of Reno, Nevada, that encompasses more than 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) of land and contains more than 120 miles (200 km) of historic trails.

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Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment  

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Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment  

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By: Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy / DESIGN EARTH How do we make sense of the Earth at a moment in which it is presented in crisis? Geostor... See More

By: Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy / DESIGN EARTH How do we make sense of the Earth at a moment in which it is presented in crisis? Geostor... See More

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Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment

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By: Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy / DESIGN EARTH How do we make sense of the Earth at a moment in which it is presented in crisis? Geostories is a manifesto on the environmental imagination that renders sensible the issues of climate change and through geographic fiction invites readers to relate to the complexity of Earth systems in their vast scales of time and space.