Weird rocks in a basin on the...

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Weird rocks in a basin on the...

Weird rocks in a basin on the...

Weird rocks in a basin on the mountain to the west of Wave 2. According to geologist Dan Bishuk, the rocks are an example of boxwork structures. These structures were formed when the Navajo sandstone was fractured and the cracks were infilled with supersaturated groundwater. The minerals in the groundwater then crystalized. When acted upon by the wind, the sandstone erodes, while the resistant cubical webs of crystals remain.
WalksWithBlackflies
on Dec 13, 2005 10:30 am
Lat/Lon: 36.99600°N / 112.0072°W
Image ID: 140904

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lcarreau

lcarreau - Jan 26, 2008 11:22 pm - Voted 10/10

They look like

big chunks of orange styrofoam! My
mouth is wide open!

WalksWithBlackflies

WalksWithBlackflies - Jan 31, 2008 11:11 am - Hasn't voted

Re: They look like

My mouth was wide open too!

If the rock was weathered with vertical OR horizontal fins, I could understand. Unfortunately, my feeble mind can't figure out how fins in both planes formed.

lcarreau

lcarreau - Jan 31, 2008 5:50 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: They look like

chunks of "gruesomely twisted sandstone."
I need to perform an adequate inspection
of them, the next time I journey to
southern Utah. (So many mountains ... so
little time!) THANKS for posting!

Viewing: 1-3 of 3