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1962 Map of Quartet Dome

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Quartet Dome
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Nevada Test Site and the Nellis Air Force Range dominate this Cold War-era topography of the high desert. Mapped in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission using 1961 aerial photography, the landscape reflects a transition from traditional desert landforms to restricted military zones. The boundary lines for Area 12 intersect the high peaks and benches of the region, including the prominent Quartet Dome and the extensive Belted Bench.

Evidence of more traditional desert exploration appears in the naming of secluded natural features like Cache Cave Draw, Moor Hen Meadow, and Mouse Meadow, which is accessed by the lonely Mouse Meadow Trail. The western edge of the quadrangle descends into the Kawich Valley, shadowed by Ocher Ridge and the descriptively named Grimy Gulch and Gritty Gulch. This map provides a technical view of the federal government's mid-century expansion into the Nye County wilderness for nuclear and aerospace research.