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Bryce Canyon National Park (amphitheater)
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A hoodoo is a rock pinacle left standing by
the force of erosion. Bryce Canyon has thousands of hoodoos, in all shapes,
sizes and colors. These columns of rocks are protected from erosion by a
harder caprock. Harder layers of limestone have more calcium carbonate
cementing the rock particles together, while softer layers have less
calcium carbonate cement.
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Alternating hard and soft layers erode at different rate (a process
known as differencial erosion) which causes the varied hoodoo shapes. As
the softer layers continue to erode, the hoodoos will eventually collapse.
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The range of colors at Bryce Canyon seems almost endless .
Limestone in its quite pure state is basically white. Small
amounts of iron deposited with the limestone have oxidized to produce the yellows,
oranges, reds
and browns.
Manganese oxides cause the blue
and purple hues. |
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