IT’S MORE THAN PRETTY ROCKS.īadlands isn’t all dirt and rocks. According to the National Park Service, the Badlands erode at a rate of one inch per year. The forces of nature that sculpted the park over so many years are still at work, which means the terrain is constantly, albeit slowly, shifting.
THE ROCKS ARE STILL ERODING.Īt Badlands National Park, you can witness a geological wonder. This resulted in the sloping hills, jagged cliff faces, and precarious spires that now draw visitors to the park. About 500,000 years ago, after most of the sedimentary rock had already formed, erosion from the White, Bad, and Cheyenne rivers began carving away at the flat floodplain. Over time, that wet mud and grit hardened into sedimentary rock, with the old rock layers starting at the bottom and becoming gradually newer the closer they get to the top.ĭepositing sediment wasn’t the only way water helped shape the landscape. Each stripe in the rocks represents a different layer of sediment that was swept there by rivers and seas millions of years ago. Both features are products of the powerful waters that have shaped the site. The rock formations at Badlands are characterized by their unusual shapes and vibrant red, tan, and white stripes.
0 kommentar(er)
