Zany Zion

I took a trip to Utah a couple of years ago and part of that trip included a drive through Zion National Park.  Zion is an amazing place and a geological wonder.  It is part of the Colorado Plateau, a 180,000 square mile area known as the Grand Staircase.  It begins with Bryce Canyon to the North, and ends with the Grand Canyon to the south.  Zion was carved by rain and the waters of the Virgin River which joins up with the Colorado River at Lake Mead.  The layers of Zion Canyon were formed by 150 million years of mud, lime, sand and ash deposits, which were then uplifted more than 10,000 feet by tectonic activity.  This process of river deposits, earthquakes and erosion is still being played out.  The varying environments that once occurred in this area included shallow seas, steams and ponds, and desert are represented by layers of marine fossils, shale, mudstone and sandstone.  Here are a few of the pictures I took while I was there.  Enjoy!