A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Cliff formed by the Navajo Sandstone (Upper Triassic and Jurassic), Capitol Reef National Park |
|---|---|
| Description | The Navajo Sandstone (on skyline) is one of the major cliff formers in Capitol Reef National Park. It caps many of the summits and high knobs. In fact, the park gets its name from the way the Navajo erodes to form dome-like peaks, reminiscent of capitol buildings. The Navajo contains well rounded grains of white sand, but is variably stained red by iron oxide on and between sand grains. It generally displays conspicuous large cross beds, structures typical of aeolian sands that form when sands are deposited in thick migrating dunes. The Navajo is the uppermost member of the Triassic Glen Canyon Group. Other members of the Glen Canyon group are the Kayenta Formation (fluvial interbedded sands and shales) and the Wingate Sandstone, another aeolian sandstone. In much of Capitol Reef National Park, the Wingate is the major cliff former; in this picture it can be seen as the low sandstone outcrops underlying the Navajo SS. The soft material in the foreground is the Chinle Formation (Triassic), which underlies the Glen Canyon Group. |
| Chronostratigraphy | Upper Triassic/Jurassic |
| Lithostratigraphy | Navajo Sandstone |
| Geologic province | Waterpocket Fold, Utah |
| Location | USA ▹ Utah ▹ Wayne. Near Hanksville. Near the small town of Notom. |
| Photographer | Dexter Perkins. 1999. |
| Collection | E341112991E. |
| Key words | Navajo Sandstone, Chinle Formation, Wingate Sandstone, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah |
| Tech details | 474 KB. Vista. Cannon EOS Rebel; 55mm lens; Kodak Elite Chrome 10. |
| GeoDIL number | 96 |
 | |