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L60 Landscape Arch. Arches National Park. Utah, USA
Position:
N38° 47.460'
W109° 36.356.
Elevation:
5241' / 1597m
Image format:
MF 35mm
LANDSCAPE ARCH. ARCHES NATIONAL PARK. UTAH, USA
This superb natural Arch is all that is left of a rock fin (see
images L58 and L59). How does this happen? In simple terms the rock fins slowly
weather and erode away. The rock is a SANDSTONE. Individual sand
GRAINS are held together by a natural cement within the rock.
Where there is less cement, the rock crumbles easily away. Where
there is more cement the rock stays together longer. The corrosive
action of ACID RAIN, the heating and drying action of the sun,
the mechanical effect of ice expanding as it freezes, all work
away at the rock. Arches are the by-products of these processes.
Images L58 through L62 are in sequence and should be viewed as
a series.
Less detail
Image Trail:
L58 Rock Fins (I). Arches National Park. Utah, USA
L59 Rock Fin (II). Arches National Park. Utah, USA
L61 An evolving Arch. Arches National Park. Utah, USA
L62 The End & the Beginning of Arches. Arches National Park. Utah,
USA
L70 Window Arch. Moab, Utah, USA
Links:
www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/parks/arch/index.htm (site includes some very good sketches showing the development
of Natural Arches)
http://www.nps.gov/seug/resource/geology/geology.htm
http://geography.com.sg/weathering/index.html
http://geography.com.sg/rivers/index.html
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