Chevron Folds (Montana)

Chevron Folds (Montana)

Between the land sloping away from the base of these rock layers and the layers themselves, there is a gap of nearly 3 billion (yes, billion with a "b") years of geologic history, also known as an unconformity.

Tilted and Folded

Badlands (Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, N. Dakota)

Badlands (Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, N. Dakota)

Badlands (Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, N. Dakota)

Kaolin clay

Kaolin clay mine (middle GA)

Kaolin clay mine (middle GA)

Tilted rock layers (Montana)

More tilted layers, almost completely upturned

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Palo Duro Canyon (Texas)

058

Basalt columns (Montana)

More tilted rock layers, possibly limestone - this part of Montana was once underwater.

More tilted rock layers, possibly limestone - this part of Montana was once underwater.

More folded and titled rock

Ancient mud with fossilized cracks

Limestone - a happy home to lichen and moss - some of the rock in this area had shells embedded throughout - so cool to find evidence of ancient aquatic life on now bone-dry land!

More folds