Towering Volcanic Cliffs
Cliffs of volcanic rocks rise along the Canyon of the North Fork of the Shoshone River, west of Cody, Wyoming. The road from Cody to Yellowstone National Park winds through this canyon in the Absaroka Mountains. The rocks exposed here are volcanics and volcaniclastic rocks that are part of the larger Absaroka Volcanic Field in northwest Wyoming and south-central Montana. This volcanic activity spanned a period of about 10 million years during the Middle Eocene (53-43 million years ago). The volcanic activity covered an area approximately 165 miles long and up to 70 miles wide. Much of the rock in the photo is volcaniclastic. These rocks are sedimentary rocks composed of eroded volcanic material. These volcaniclastic rocks formed in alluvial aprons surrounding the eruptive centers. They are made up conglomerates, breccia, sandstone, siltstone and claystone derived from eroded volcanic material. The volcaniclastics were deposited by debris flow, lahars, as well as streams. They are interbedded with volcanic flows and cut by numerous igneous dikes. The area shown in the photo is in an area of the canyon know as The Palisades. The smoke and haze in the photo came from several wildfires burning quite a way off to the west in Idaho, Oregon and California. Due to the western fires in US during the summer of 2021, Wyoming skies were often smokey or hazy. These smokey conditions were often a challenge for photographers like me who are accustomed to beautiful, clear Wyoming skies.
Towering Volcanic Cliffs
Cliffs of volcanic rocks rise along the Canyon of the North Fork of the Shoshone River, west of Cody, Wyoming. The road from Cody to Yellowstone National Park winds through this canyon in the Absaroka Mountains. The rocks exposed here are volcanics and volcaniclastic rocks that are part of the larger Absaroka Volcanic Field in northwest Wyoming and south-central Montana. This volcanic activity spanned a period of about 10 million years during the Middle Eocene (53-43 million years ago). The volcanic activity covered an area approximately 165 miles long and up to 70 miles wide. Much of the rock in the photo is volcaniclastic. These rocks are sedimentary rocks composed of eroded volcanic material. These volcaniclastic rocks formed in alluvial aprons surrounding the eruptive centers. They are made up conglomerates, breccia, sandstone, siltstone and claystone derived from eroded volcanic material. The volcaniclastics were deposited by debris flow, lahars, as well as streams. They are interbedded with volcanic flows and cut by numerous igneous dikes. The area shown in the photo is in an area of the canyon know as The Palisades. The smoke and haze in the photo came from several wildfires burning quite a way off to the west in Idaho, Oregon and California. Due to the western fires in US during the summer of 2021, Wyoming skies were often smokey or hazy. These smokey conditions were often a challenge for photographers like me who are accustomed to beautiful, clear Wyoming skies.