Devil's Tower Family trip - Week 2 travel entry

My family and I had visited the famous rock formation Devil’s Tower located in Devil’s Tower National Park, Wyoming. The name surely fit as we stared at the rock formation towering as at a height of 867 feet from its base to summit. I explained to my family that if noticed the colors of the rock the light grey to greenish gray color hints as the type of igneous rock it is phonolite porphyry. As we looked closer at the formation, we noticed white feldspar crystals in which some displayed as colorless.  I told my children that the size of these crystals determines how fast the magma cooled. Since the crystal rocks are visible it means that the rocks cooled at a slower pace which also means that it is an intrusive ingenious rock, which it is formed under the earth. My children started to catch on and mentioned that that is probably why it is formed upright like a tower. I confirmed that the shape and height can give us insight and that there are many theories but the most supported is that the magma was trapped between sedimentary rocks given the tower shape. We also notice that the rock was made up of columns some 6 sided or 5 sided but all vary. The columns I explained are another characteristic of ingenious rocks. The columns are created from the magma cooling and then contracting.  




National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm

National Geographic Society. (2012, November 09). Devils Tower. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/

National park service. (2019, April 14). How the Tower Formed. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm