GEOLOGY IN THE NATIONAL PARKS
Rock&Gem Magazine|June 2021
The Science Behind the Scenery
- STEVE VOYNICK
GEOLOGY IN THE NATIONAL PARKS

The national parks and monuments of the United States have been called the world’s most magnificent rock collection for good reason. Of the National Park Service’s 189 national parks and monuments, most have geologic features that are described either as “significant” or “spectacular.”

Each year, these remarkable landforms—deep gorges, sheer cliffs, steaming hot springs and geysers, massive sand dunes, volcanic cones and flows, natural bridges, glaciers, stalactite-decorated caves, and colorful stone spires—attract hundreds of millions of visitors. And for those interested in geology, the time to visit the national parks and monuments has never been better, thanks to updated and upgraded geologic explanations.

Historically, geology had long taken a backseat to the parks’ more obvious attractions of scenery and wildlife. But in the 1950s and 1960s, growing numbers of visitors began showing interest in the earth sciences, especially geology. In the early 1990s, the National Park Service began rethinking the role of geology as an attraction. Since then, it has placed greater emphasis on geologic education—in other words, on the science behind the scenery.

AWE-INSPIRING GEOLOGY

Today’s visitors still marvel at the landforms for which the national parks and monuments are famous. But now, more detailed exhibits, improved interpretive signage, and focused ranger programs and lectures make it easier for visitors to learn about the geologic forces that created these remarkable landforms.

The landforms in the national parks and monuments were created by five basic geologic processes: sandstone erosion, volcanics, groundwater dissolution and redeposition, glaciation, and mountain building and faulting.

この蚘事は Rock&Gem Magazine の June 2021 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は Rock&Gem Magazine の June 2021 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

ROCK&GEM MAGAZINEのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands

A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Rock&Gem Magazine

Iowa's Hidden Treasures

Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside

time-read
5 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Agatized CORAL
Rock&Gem Magazine

Agatized CORAL

Florida's Collectible State Stone

time-read
3 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Florida's Beaches

Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.

time-read
6 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Collecting Staurolite
Rock&Gem Magazine

Collecting Staurolite

Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia

time-read
3 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Pecos Valley Diamonds
Rock&Gem Magazine

Pecos Valley Diamonds

New Mexico's Ancient Attraction

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Rock&Gem Magazine

12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows

Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Turquoise in the American Southwest
Rock&Gem Magazine

Turquoise in the American Southwest

A Water & Sky Souvenir

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
Rock&Gem Magazine

Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT

It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals

time-read
6 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Rock&Gem Magazine

Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks

Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.

time-read
4 分  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024