Pliocene–Pleistocene hydrology and pluvial lake during Marine Isotope Stages 5a and 4, Deep Springs Valley, western Great Basin, Inyo County, California

Abstract Deep Springs Valley (DSV) is a hydrologically isolated valley between the White and Inyo mountains that commonly excluded from regional paleohydrology paleoclimatology. Previous studies showed uplift of ridge (informal name) by fault defeated streams crossing DSV sometime after eruption Pleistocene Bishop Tuff (0.772 Ma). Here, we present tephrochronology clast counts reaffirms interruption Pliocene–Pleistocene hydrology formation during Pleistocene. Paleontology infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dates indicate freshwater lake inundated ca. 83–61 ka or Late Marine Isotope Stages 5a (MIS 5a; 82 peak) 4 4; 71–57 ka). The age pluvial Lake coincides with lakes in Owens Columbus Salt Marsh documents greater effective precipitation southwestern North America MIS 4. In addition, hypothesize was balanced-fill overflowed into Eureka via Soldier Pass wind gap has implications for dispersal endemism black toad ( Anaxyrus exsul ).