A picture from Death Valley National Park. Off in the distance is the black mountains, and in the foreground is the wavy wife sandstone hills.
Taking my virtue hike of Death Valley, I decided to walk the
Badlands Loop. As I walk the white dirt path and looking around at the waving,
white hills I first had to catch myself from thinking I was walking on a different
planet. When I had a higher view of the horizon, the lack of vegetation or
water was so apparent it just did not feel like the normal geological hikes I
have taken. My first big question is how did this area form? As from the white
hills contain sandstone, was this once a wet land? Did the black mountains,
that contain metamorphic and igneous rocks, get thrusted into the sky cutting
this area off from the ocean? With the lack of rain or a water source, was the
main factor of erosion the harsh winds and does the wind factor in the wavy
appearance of the hills? This is when the virtue tours or hikes become
difficult, as I am not able to physically touch or examine anything to help answer
my questions. I can just looks at all the pictures and enjoy the beauty of this
unique and almost unearthly area.
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