Silver Bell Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Silver Bell Mountains are an arid north-northwest x southeast trending small mountain range in north-central Pima County, Arizona
. The range lies 14 miles (23 km) west of Marana, Arizona
, located on Interstate-10
, northwest of Tucson
.
The range is located in the east of the Ironwood Forest National Monument
, and is located in a group of four mountain ranges. Ragged Top peaks in the north of the range is a well known landmark, as good roads extend through this sightseeing and former mining region.
to the southeast, where palynology
-(pollen) studies have shown some of the recent floristic history of Arizona
during the Pliocene
. Both ranges lie in the northeast Sonoran Desert
; the Madrean Sky Island
ranges begin just southeast of here, with the large, and most western sky island
range, the Baboquivari Mountains-Quinlans 20-35 mi south.
The Silver Bell range can be accessed by Avra Valley Rd and Silver Bell Rd from the south of Marana.
The highest peak, Silver Bell Peak, is located at 32.4084°N 111.4923°W. Its height is 4261 feet (1,299 m).
----
Ragged Top Peak
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The range lies 14 miles (23 km) west of Marana, Arizona
Marana, Arizona
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...
, located on Interstate-10
Interstate 10 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 10, the major east–west Interstate Highway in the southern United States, runs east from California, enters Arizona and continues through Phoenix and Tucson and exits at the border with New Mexico.-Route description:...
, northwest of Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
The range is located in the east of the Ironwood Forest National Monument
Ironwood Forest National Monument
Ironwood Forest National Monument is located in the Sonoran Desert and the U.S. state of Arizona. Created by Bill Clinton by Presidential Proclamation 7320 on June 9, 2000, the 129,022 acre monument is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the...
, and is located in a group of four mountain ranges. Ragged Top peaks in the north of the range is a well known landmark, as good roads extend through this sightseeing and former mining region.
Description
The range is named for the Silver Bell Mine located at the southern end of the mountains. The range abuts the Waterman MountainsWaterman Mountains
The Waterman Mountains are a low mountainous landform in Pima County, United States. Numerous flora and fauna species are found in the Waterman Mountains, in the Pinyon-juniper woodland plant community. Notable among the tree species is the Elephant tree which species exhibits a contorted...
to the southeast, where palynology
Palynology
Palynology is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, orbicules, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments...
-(pollen) studies have shown some of the recent floristic history of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
. Both ranges lie in the northeast Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
; the Madrean Sky Island
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
ranges begin just southeast of here, with the large, and most western sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
range, the Baboquivari Mountains-Quinlans 20-35 mi south.
The Silver Bell range can be accessed by Avra Valley Rd and Silver Bell Rd from the south of Marana.
The highest peak, Silver Bell Peak, is located at 32.4084°N 111.4923°W. Its height is 4261 feet (1,299 m).
See also
- Ironwood Forest National MonumentIronwood Forest National MonumentIronwood Forest National Monument is located in the Sonoran Desert and the U.S. state of Arizona. Created by Bill Clinton by Presidential Proclamation 7320 on June 9, 2000, the 129,022 acre monument is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the...
- List of mountain ranges of Pima County, Arizona
- List of mountain ranges of Arizona
External links
Silver Bell Peak----
Ragged Top Peak