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Figure 2. Photographs around the Santa Margarita Ranch including, a) USGS scientists investigating vertical-walled crack from degraded earthen berm; b) vibrant desert landscape featuring a "carpet" of golden Mexican Gold Poppies and purple Coulter's Lupine blooming among rocky soil and sparse vegetation; c) incising narrow, eroded gully or wash cutting through a dry, hilly landscape, and; d) desert arroyo (also known as a dry wash), characterized by a deep, eroded gully carved into the sandy, arid soil, with mesquite trees roots being exposed.