Thursday, July 2, 2015

Rock Windows


No rock formations in the vast deserts of sandstone are more intriguing than these. I seems almost impossible that erosion alone could have created such delicate and interesting structures. Technically, these are known as "tafoni." They are most commonly found on Entrada and Navajo sandstone, but can be occasionally seen in other types of rocks. Sandstone is porous and as water moves through the rock is dissolves the calcite (Calcium Carbonate or CaCO3) in the rocks. The patterns of the little arches reflect the difference in hardness between the parts of the rock. This is probably a good theory, but it doesn't account for the beauty of the structures.

1 comment:

  1. How large are those holes, there is no sense of dimension.

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