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Grape hyacinth... One of the earliest and one of the prettiest flowers of spring. I never tire of these little flowers.
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Under harsh noon summer sun, Chimney Rock (15 miles west of Pagosa Springs) was a standout against the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. This geological structure is visible from US 160. My altitude was ~7700 feet. Temperature was about 80F in the shade and approaching 100F in the sun.
The distinctive twin spires of Chimney Rock and Companion Rock are the most prominent geological features of the monument. These pinnacles are composed primarily of sandstone and shale, with evidence of sedimentary layers from the Mesozoic era, specifically the Cretaceous period (approximately 145–66 million years ago).
The key geological components include:
Sandstone: The upper portions of the spires are likely composed of resistant sandstone, possibly from the Point Lookout Sandstone formation, which is part of the Mesaverde Group common in the Four Corners region. Sandstone forms from cemented sand grains deposited in ancient marine or coastal environments. Its durability has allowed the spires to withstand erosion better than surrounding materials.
Shale: Beneath the sandstone cap, softer layers of Mancos Shale form a pedestal. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from compacted mud and clay in quiet, low-energy environments like ocean basins. Its relative softness makes it more susceptible to erosion, contributing to the spires’ isolated appearance.
Volcanic Influence: The San Juan Mountains experienced intense volcanic activity during the Oligocene (approximately 34–23 million years ago). While the spires themselves are primarily sedimentary, the broader region contains volcanic ash and tuff deposits interlayered with sedimentary rocks, indicating nearby volcanic eruptions that influenced the local geology.
Formation of the Spires
The twin spires of Chimney Rock and Companion Rock are classic examples of differential erosion, a process where materials of varying resistance erode at different rates:
Cap Rock Protection: The spires owe their existence to a hard sandstone cap that protects the softer shale and other underlying materials from erosion. This cap rock acts like an umbrella, slowing the erosion of the material directly beneath it while surrounding softer rocks are worn away by wind, water, and freeze-thaw cycles.
Erosion and Isolation: Over millions of years, the surrounding landscape was eroded, leaving the more resistant spires standing tall above the mesa. The Piedra River and Stollsteimer Creek, which flank the monument, have carved valleys that enhance the spires’ prominence, with Chimney Rock rising approximately 315 feet from its base.
Mesa Formation: Stollsteimer Mesa, where the spires are located, is a flat-topped landform typical of the Colorado Plateau.
Mesas form when resistant rock layers (like sandstone) protect underlying softer layers from erosion, creating elevated platforms. The mesa’s elevation and the spires’ position atop it highlight the region’s layered sedimentary history.
Geological Processes and Features
Several geological processes have shaped the Chimney Rock landscape:
Sedimentation: During the Cretaceous period, the area was part of the Western Interior Seaway, a vast shallow sea that covered much of central North America. Sediments from rivers, deltas, and marine environments accumulated, forming the sandstone and shale layers visible today. Fossils found in the area, such as marine shells, provide evidence of this ancient seaway.
Tectonic Uplift: The Laramide Orogeny uplifted the Rocky Mountains, including the San Juan range, elevating the sedimentary layers to their current high altitude. This uplift exposed the rocks to erosion, setting the stage for the formation of the spires and mesa.
Erosion: Wind, water, and seasonal temperature fluctuations (freeze-thaw cycles) have sculpted the landscape. The steep cliffs and exposed rock faces at Chimney Rock are evidence of ongoing erosion, which continues to shape the monument. The softer shale erodes faster, undercutting the sandstone cap and maintaining the spires’ sharp profiles.
Picture of the day
I took this one a couple of weeks ago at Sussex Prairie Garden. I thought it was hot then. It's hotter now! I'm hoping it will cool down again soon, so I can get back to my indoor photography and remain (relatively) sane. :)
A splash of color to start of the weekend! I really enjoy my Nikon 300mm F;/4 (especially with the 1,7 tc) it gives me a a new way of getting the shot I want and a new perspective at looking at things, as well as framing them. Not to mention the fact that 500mm (effectively if used with the 1,7tc) opens a new world of opportunities quite literally. Thanks for looking/favoring and commenting on my photographs and have a nice -photogenic- weekend.
Returning from our walk along the edge of the Manawatu River estuary recently, this small corrugated-iron hut didn't look to be much of a building - especially when compared to the big home behind it... However, the very colourful three-dimensional art work never-the-less made it a stand-out little building in its own right - and was certainly far more colourful than the rather drab-looking "mansion" behind it...!
(The roofline that appears to be hanging over the hut was (I think from memory) a part of the extensive 'patio' attached to the house behind!).
The building materials used for the hut might not have been the flashiest, but the artwork that adorned it can only be described as standout work...!
New Zealand moves to Daylight Saving Time at 2am tomorrow morning - which means, of course, that we lose out on an hour's sleep...! (Groan!).
Thanks for taking the time and the trouble to leave a Comment beneath this photo Folks! It's always nice to hear from you, and your comments are always very much appreciated...!
A standout trio of sculptures by Aaron Curry at the DeCordova- individually they are Bluebat, Homewrecker, and Ugly Mess
DeCordova Sculpture Park
119 in 2019
#70 - Luminous/Fluorescent
Thank you in advance for your views, comments, and faves. They are much appreciated!
Pretty Valley, Falls Creek, Victoria AUS
Rising out from beneath the deep fog that had engulfed Pretty Valley where I'd been shooting earlier this particular morning lay this surprise.
I'd not been expecting to clear the fog at all, but scored & got really lucky - even more so that I managed to time it just right and had the sun crest over the hills to the left, bathing this shot in glorious warmth. Just enough fog lingered to give some interesting atmospheric effects and a feel of warm vs. cold too - got to love the high country!
Shiprock was such an imposing sight that I still cannot get it out of my mind.
I submit this photo for your inspection.
This photo was taken by a Hasselblad 500C medium format film camera with a Carl Zeiss Distagon 1:4 f=50mm lens and Zenza Bronica 67mm SO56•2C(YA3) filter using Rollei RPX 25 film, the negative scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a glistening and ancient globular cluster named NGC 3201 — a gathering of hundreds of thousands of stars bound together by gravity. NGC 3201 was discovered in 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, who described it as a “pretty large, pretty bright” object that becomes “rather irregular” towards its center.
Globular clusters are found around all large galaxies, but their origin and role in galaxy formation remain tantalizingly unclear. Astronomers recently discovered a black hole lurking at the heart of NGC 3201 — its position was revealed by the strange movements of a star being quickly flung around a massive, invisible counterpart. This sparkling group of stars also has some strange properties that make it unique amongst the more than 150 globular clusters belonging to the Milky Way. NGC 3201 has an extremely fast velocity with respect to the Sun, and its orbit is retrograde, meaning that it moves speedily in the opposite direction to the galactic center.
The unusual behavior of this cluster suggests that it may have extragalactic origins but at some point was captured by the Milky Way’s gravity. However, the chemical makeup of this intriguing cluster tells a different story — the stars within NGC 3201 are chemically very similar to those of other galactic globular clusters, implying that they formed at a similar location and time to their neighbors.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Sarajedini et al
#NASA #MarshallSpaceFlightCenter #MSFC #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter #GSFC #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #EuropeanSpaceAgency #galaxy
With autumn just around the corner, here is a shot from the archives or a white mum nestled in amongst a group of deep red ones.
Thanks for viewing and have a great weekend ahead :)
This little tree's golden foliage has been quite a standout this fall, especially on a dreary day like today.
ODT - The Giving Tree
Thank you in advance for your views, comments, and faves. They are much appreciated!
Two standouts in the first crop of Sunflowers. Mid July. These were very tall. Some six feet or so. Shot with a polarizer late in the afternoon on a 100 degree + day. Have a Great Evening and thanks for the look.
Flowers along the Flower Walk in Hyde Park.
View the entire London Set
View the entire Natural Still Life Set
View my - Most Interesting according to Flickr
'Pineapple Sun' coleus and magenta chrysanthemums. And there's a 'Postman Joyner' caladium leaf trying to photobomb the shot!
Created for TMI's July contest: BEAKS & BILLS
This is a composite of several photos of juvenile flamingos shot at the Los Angeles Zoo. They turn pink as they mature.
Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus and jonquil are used to describe all or some members of the genus. The species are native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa with a centre of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian peninsula. They are predominantly spring perennial plants. They have conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by a cup- or trumpet-shaped corona. The flowers are generally white or yellow or orange or pink, with either uniform or contrasting coloured tepals and corona. 11766