300 million years ago, most of Arizona| Arizona | (air-i'-ZON-u') |
The State of Arizona comprises the extreme south-western portion of the United States. It is bounded on the north by Utah, on the east by New Mexico, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by California and Nevada. |
was underwater. In fact, most of the Southwestern
United States was underwater. This was the time when all of the individual
continents that we know today were all together to form one super continent
called Pangea, and fish were the most advanced life on the planet. Limestone,
sandstone, and mudstone were accumulating as the seawater moves in and
recedes, in the area known today as Sedona. Iron moves in from the volcanic
areas to the sandstone and mudstone, oxidizing and creating various layers
of soft reds and pinks.
We all know what happens when iron is
exposed to water -- It rusts. Drop an iron nail in water for any period
of time, or get a scratch on the side of your car, and over a short period
you can witness it turning orange. This is precisely what happened in
the Sedona area when the ocean dominated the area many millions of years
ago. As the iron in the dirt was exposed to water, it rusted, turning
various shades of red. This color still exists in the rocks today.
This
process of water moving in and receding from the oceans is also what caused
various erosions in the area and left behind some breath-taking structures;
including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Coffee Pot Rock.
