Frenchman Mountain
Encyclopedia
Frenchman Mountain is located east of Las Vegas
in the U.S. state
of Nevada
. It is not part of any mountain range
. Made up of rocks similar to those found on the bottom of the Grand Canyon
, Frenchman Mountain formed when faulting elevated it, giving it its sharp triangulated slope
. It is the site of the Great Unconformity
. It is underlain by Vishnu Schist rock, which is some of the oldest rock on the North American continent, having been created about two billion years ago.
State Route 147
crosses its northern slope. A geologically rich area called Rainbow Gardens is located to its southeast, as is an igneous laccolith
, Lava Butte.
The Frenchman Mountain Fault is a potential earthquake
danger to the region.
It is commonly, and mistakenly, referred to as Sunrise Mountain
, the name of a smaller peak to the north of Frenchman Mountain. The area from Cheyenne Avenue and Boulder Highway and Lamb Boulevard is commonly known as Sunrise Manor Township CDP
.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. It is not part of any mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
. Made up of rocks similar to those found on the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, Frenchman Mountain formed when faulting elevated it, giving it its sharp triangulated slope
Slope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
. It is the site of the Great Unconformity
Great Unconformity
Of the many unconformities observed in geological strata, the term Great Unconformity is most notably applied to either the unconformity observed by James Hutton in 1787 at Siccar Point in Scotland, or that observed by John Wesley Powell in the Grand Canyon in 1869...
. It is underlain by Vishnu Schist rock, which is some of the oldest rock on the North American continent, having been created about two billion years ago.
State Route 147
Nevada State Route 147
State Route 147 is a short distance state highway located southern Nevada. It is signed as Lake Mead Boulevard and runs from Interstate 15 in North Las Vegas east to the border of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area....
crosses its northern slope. A geologically rich area called Rainbow Gardens is located to its southeast, as is an igneous laccolith
Laccolith
A laccolith is a sheet intrusion that has been injected between two layers of sedimentary rock. The pressure of the magma is high enough that the overlying strata are forced upward, giving the laccolith a dome or mushroom-like form with a generally planar base.Laccoliths tend to form at relatively...
, Lava Butte.
The Frenchman Mountain Fault is a potential earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
danger to the region.
It is commonly, and mistakenly, referred to as Sunrise Mountain
Sunrise Mountain (Las Vegas)
Sunrise Mountain is located east of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada.Even though Sunrise mountain is over NNW of higher peak Frenchman Mountain many people in the Las Vegas area refer to Frenchman Mountain as Sunrise Mountain since the sun rises from behind it...
, the name of a smaller peak to the north of Frenchman Mountain. The area from Cheyenne Avenue and Boulder Highway and Lamb Boulevard is commonly known as Sunrise Manor Township CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
.