Zion National Park Geology, Rock Formations

Zion National Park is a huge testament to the geology that has formed the planet, most especially the intriguing rock formations that dot its terrain. At over two hundred million years old, the park has undergone a lot of changes, most of which were thanks in part to the weather and the natural upheaval of the very volcanic area.

Over 2000 millennium, Zion National Park has been pushed, turned, eroded and created from the very bowels of the planet and the atmosphere above. It is no surprise that this amazing place has been of great interest in the science of geology.

Zion's birth began with the volcanic eruptions that spewed lava, creating mountains of incredible heights. Ancient rivers eroded away at the mountains, dragging along with them sandy deposits, which in time covered the entire park. As the mountains were worn away, and sea levels rose, huge bodies of water covered these sandy dunes. Soon the deposits hardened creating sandstone, and then the vast seabed added another layer, finally combining with shale, mudstone and clay, forming a limestone layer. This process continued, alternating between the two layers until the waters receded, leaving the colorful thin layers that we see today. However, the weather cooled, lashing the once tropic region with rains and snow. The huge plateau was gradually eroded further, forming the many monoliths, caves, crevices, hoodoos and canyons.

Today these formations are of intense fascination to all who see them. However, most are unaware that the layering process has begun again. The great rocky pieces are being eroded again, evidence of which can be found in the canyon bases in the form of sand, and in the river which carries massive amounts of sand and rocks downstream. Amazingly enough, the Virgin River carries some five thousand tons of it downstream each day, which worsens when flood waters rip through the canyons.