Categories: NatureUncategorized

A story in layers

Land forms of the Moenkopi Formation at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Land forms at Capitol Reef National Park

The landscape at Capitol Reef National Park tells many stories in colorful layers of rock. The darker columns in the picture above are part of the Moenkopi Formation and it is 225 million years old.

The sedimentary layers of rock in this picture consist of silt, sand, clay, and gravel. The bands of gray and burgundy are made up of volcanic ash. The 700 foot thick layer at the base of the cliffs is the Chinle Formation. That formation contains a lot of petrified wood.

I was impressed by contrasting colors and textures at this park. If you take a trip to Utah, don’t overlook this park. There are a lot of hiking trails here and a short scenic drive.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Order

SoyBend

Centered in Bend, Oregon, my blog branches out into nature, history, and art-related topics.

View Comments

  • A beautiful photo this week. I love the bands of color in the layers of rock in the High Desert. We lived outside Grand Junction, Colorado for 4 years and the Golden Hours of the morning and night were breath-taking. Thanks for sharing this post with us.
    Ω

Recent Posts

Steps up & down: LAPC

Steps lead you from one level to another. In MoPOP, the Museum of Pop Culture…

19 hours ago

Prickly pear fruit up close: Macro Monday

This year, we had a bumper crop of prickly pear fruit on the cactus growing…

3 days ago

Clouds over Pilot Butte: Weekend Sky

Clouds over Pilot Butte in Bend, Oregon Weekend Sky Bend Branches always appreciates your comments…

5 days ago

Southpark Seafood: Foodie Friday

Last February, on a trip to Portland, Oregon, I had a meal at Southpark Seafood.…

6 days ago

A Painted Hills morning: WW

A Painted Hills morning in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon Wordless Wednesday (WW)…

1 week ago

Kwakwaka’wakw art, Seattle Art Museum: Sculpture Saturday

This beautiful collection of Kwakwaka'wakw art is at the Seattle Art Museum in Washington state.…

2 weeks ago