White Dome Rock, a white sandstone monolith in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, western USA.
The Valley of Fire State Park is located about 45 miles north-east of Las Vegas. It is the largest, and oldest, State Park in Nevada.
This formation is nowadays part of a 1.25 mile hiking route called the White Domes Loop, where white and pale pink and yellow sandstones dominate the area. Many people consider this area to be the most spectacular area of the park.
Eons ago, the limestone hills surrounding the Valley were the floor of a mighty ocean. They were lifted and twisted by tectonics and volcanic action, and the ocean receded. During the Jurassic period — about 150 million years ago — a vast desert developed. Here, where our mighty rocks now reside, great sand dunes grew. Through time and compaction these dunes became sandstone.
During this process the groundwater flowed through and carried iron oxide and various other minerals. As the water passed through these “petrified dunes,” the iron oxide, lime, silica and other minerals painted the stones various hues of red, white, yellow, purple and more. The water also caused fractures in weak areas of the rock, which helped mold the unusual shapes and patterns.
All this happened long ago, and took thousands of years, but the result was spectacular and a startling contrast to the gray hills nearby.
Sandstone is a relatively fragile rock, and as the groundwater continues to flow through the rocks, they are continually changing and eroding. The wind does its part, too, in carving sculptures from old rock. As well, small, new sand dunes form downwind as the rocks erode; with each breeze, the sand forms a new page that records the ongoing drama of desert animal life. Following the tracks of roadrunners, lizards, ring tail cats and much more becomes as fascinating as viewing the red rocks and studying the geological story.
Desert USA
This photo made in the Valley of Fire State Park is copyright © Liz Leyden. All rights strictly as agreed in writing with the author or her agent.
It is for sale as wall art or as various home or personal accessories at Pixels.com.
It is also available to license as a stock photo from my portfolio at iStock.
