Great Basin

Area comprising 228,150 sq. m. in and adjoining Nevada, Utah. and Cal., which has no drainage to either ocean: the waters either sink into the ground or are evaporated. The surface is an alternation of broad desert valleys and narrow, abrupt mountain ranges. The elevation of the valleys ranges from below sea level up to 6,000 ft., while several peaks exceed 12,000. It is a collection of basins of various sizes, in each of which the water collects and sinks. The largest of these are the Salt Lake Basin, in the e. part, the CarsonHumboldt in the w., the Mahlheur in the n., and the Mojave in the s. The climate is arid in the extreme. Vegetation and animal life are scanty.