<p>No, not possible.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr9779" rel="nofollow noreferrer">report by the United States Geological Survey</a>, the rocks in and around &quot;Artist's Palette&quot;, which is the place you are describing, are various volcanic rocks: basalts, tuffs, andesites, etc. The colours results from various degrees of weathering. They are stratigraphically consistent just like you would expect from natural rocks, and different to mine dumps. One example from the report:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Unit Ta4A forms the top unit in the &quot;Artist Palette sequence&quot;,
occurring at Artist Palette and north to Desolation Canyon.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>The unit consists mostly of basalt with less abundant andesite and
minor tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. These rocks are conspicuously
exposed where Artist Drive follows a narrow canyon through the ridge
underlain by this unit 1.2 mi (2.0 km) northwest of Artist Palette.
The basalt is in part solid but agglomerate, cinder agglutinate, and
conglomerate of basalt clasts are also common. Most is dark-gray but
color varies to reddish-brown in fresh rocks and greenish-gray in
altered ones. Most contains sparse plagioclase microphenocrysts.
Andesite is dark-brownish-gray, aphyric and platy-weathering.
Interlayered tuffaceous sedimentary rocks are light-gray to pinkish;
some contain rhyolite fragments.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, nothing special. Just a regular sequence of ancient volcanic rocks.</p>
<p>I am not sure which mining dumps you are referring to, but green colours are often associated with copper which is often mined in South America. There is no copper in Death Valley and in the rocks you are asking about. The reason for the green colour is different and unrelated to copper.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-14T10:25:35.087Z
2023-02-14T10:25:35.087Z
Gimelist
<p>I know there is a mainstream answer that thinks the <a href="https://www.eastwestquest.com/death-valley-national-park/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">rainbow sand dunes</a> they be explained geologically... I just want to know if it's possible to form those colors and those dunes from mining? And if not why do they look exactly like the mine dumps in South America?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-14T03:14:40.180Z
do you have a picture/website of the mine dumps in South America that you speak of?
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-14T19:11:36.747Z
The site you link to mentions rainbow-colored  _mountains_, but apparently not dunes? Which picture are you talking about?
Spencer
<geology><geophysics><geochemistry><mineralogy><mining>
Is it possible that the rainbow sand dunes in Death Valley, California were formed by some massive mining in the ancient past?
American woman
# Is it possible that the rainbow sand dunes in Death Valley, California were formed by some massive mining in the ancient past?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-13)

I know there is a mainstream answer that thinks the [rainbow sand dunes](https://www.eastwestquest.com/death-valley-national-park/) they be explained geologically... I just want to know if it's possible to form those colors and those dunes from mining? And if not why do they look exactly like the mine dumps in South America?

**Tags:** geology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy, mining

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: do you have a picture/website of the mine dumps in South America that you speak of?  
> **username_2**: The site you link to mentions rainbow-colored  _mountains_, but apparently not dunes? Which picture are you talking about?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-02-14. Score: 2

No, not possible.

According to a [report by the United States Geological Survey](https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr9779), the rocks in and around "Artist's Palette", which is the place you are describing, are various volcanic rocks: basalts, tuffs, andesites, etc. The colours results from various degrees of weathering. They are stratigraphically consistent just like you would expect from natural rocks, and different to mine dumps. One example from the report:

> Unit Ta4A forms the top unit in the "Artist Palette sequence",
> occurring at Artist Palette and north to Desolation Canyon.
>
> ...
>
> The unit consists mostly of basalt with less abundant andesite and
> minor tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. These rocks are conspicuously
> exposed where Artist Drive follows a narrow canyon through the ridge
> underlain by this unit 1.2 mi (2.0 km) northwest of Artist Palette.
> The basalt is in part solid but agglomerate, cinder agglutinate, and
> conglomerate of basalt clasts are also common. Most is dark-gray but
> color varies to reddish-brown in fresh rocks and greenish-gray in
> altered ones. Most contains sparse plagioclase microphenocrysts.
> Andesite is dark-brownish-gray, aphyric and platy-weathering.
> Interlayered tuffaceous sedimentary rocks are light-gray to pinkish;
> some contain rhyolite fragments.

In other words, nothing special. Just a regular sequence of ancient volcanic rocks.

I am not sure which mining dumps you are referring to, but green colours are often associated with copper which is often mined in South America. There is no copper in Death Valley and in the rocks you are asking about. The reason for the green colour is different and unrelated to copper.


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