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Integrative Natural History of Southern Illinois, Part 1: Sandstone Cliff Face with Tafoni Texture | Ferne Clyffe State Park, Illinois, USA

A view of the park's Round Bluff. Here the Pounds Sandstone Member of the Pennsylvanian-subperiod (Upper Carboniferous) Caseyville Sandstone shows the scooped-out tafoni texture that sometimes develops in weathered sandstone.

 

The otherworldly pale-blue color of the rock face is largely the result of the crustose-lichen community inhabiting it. The cliff is also home to various nonvascular-plant (liverwort and moss) species.

 

To see the other photos and descriptions of this series, visit Integrative Natural History of Southern Illinois album.

 

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Uploaded on August 18, 2022
Taken on April 10, 2005