earth science

Pinacate Peaks

Pinacate Peaks is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pinacate Peaks rather than just read about it. In short: The Pinacate Peaks (Sierra Pinacate) are a group of volcanic peaks and cinder cones located mostly in the Mexican state of Sonora along the international border adjacent to the U.S. state of Arizona, surrounded by the vast sand dune field of the Gran Desierto de Altar, at the desert's southeast. The Spanish name for the Pinacate Peaks geographic feature is the Sierra Pinacate, which is used in their homeland of Mexi…

Key takeaways

Pinacate Peaks belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pinacate Peaks to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pinacate Peaks from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Pinacate Peaks (Sierra Pinacate) are a group of volcanic peaks and cinder cones located mostly in the Mexican state of Sonora along the international border adjacent to the U.S. state of Arizona, surrounded by the vast sand dune field of the Gran Desierto de Altar, at the desert's southeast. The Spanish name for the Pinacate Peaks geographic feature is the Sierra Pinacate, which is used in their homeland of Mexico.

Location The Pinacate Peaks lie just north of the fishing resort of Puerto Peñasco. The tallest of the peaks is Cerro del Pinacate (also called Volcan Santa Clara), with an elevation of 3,904 feet (1,190 m). The Mexican Spanish word pinacate is derived from the Nahuatl word for the endemic desert stink beetle, pinacatl.

Natural history

Geology The volcanoes here have erupted sporadically since about 4 million years ago, probably in association with the opening of the Gulf of California. The most recent volcanic activity was about 11,000 years ago. The Pinacate Desert is home to the largest sand dunes in the Americas.

Flora and fauna A variety of flora and fauna occur in the Pinacate Mountains, including the sculptural elephant tree (Bursera microphylla) and the endangered Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis).

Human history Padre Eusebio Kino, the founder of many Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert, explored here in 1698 and several times later. NASA sent astronauts here starting in 1965 for geologic training, given the similarity of the terrain to the lunar surface, and included training models of lunar surface equipment. Apollo 14's Alan Shepard and Ed Mitchell, and Apollo 17's Jack Schmitt trained here in Feb. 1970.

El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

The El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve, in the Spanish language Reserva de la Biosfera el Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar, managed by the Mexican Federal Government's SEMARNAT – the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the government of the State of Sonora's IMADES agency.

The reserve Facts about the reserve:

Over 600 square miles (1,600 km2) Over 400 cinder cones (caused by volcanic activity) 9 massive volcanic craters Remains of volcanic activity (ash, basalt rock, lava fields) Over 560 plant species 56 mammal species 43 reptile species 222 bird species 4 fish species.

See also List of volcanoes in Mexico El Elegante Crater

References

External links

Official Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve website Sierra Pinacate a Volcanic Wonder Global Volcanism Program: Pinacate Cerro Pinacate, at summitpost

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pinacate Peaks

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pinacate Peaks claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pinacate Peaks before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pinacate Peaks ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pinacate Peaks

In research: Pinacate Peaks appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pinacate Peaks in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pinacate Peaks is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cinder cones, Geology of Mexico, Gran Desierto de Altar, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pinacate Peaks outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pinacate Peaks in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pinacate Peaks means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pinacate Peaks out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pinacate Peaks in simple terms?

Why does Pinacate Peaks matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pinacate Peaks?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pinacate Peaks.