Geology Picture of the Week, Nov. 2-8, 2008: La Ventana Arch

Explore New Mexico ^ | Various

[cogitator]

Never heard of this one before, and it's easy to get to. And impressive.

Here's a different perspective.

And this one is pretty nice. Click for full-size.

[cogitator]

This one is disappointing. Clearly access to it is easy, and the one time I was in Albuquerque I could have gotten there. Well, wait 'til next time.

[cogitator]

** ping **

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

You’d better hurry; it looks like it’ll fail within this century!

[Flycatcher]

Love the pinyon pine & juniper woodland of the Interior West. Thanks for the post.

[kidd]

Arches Nat. park in Utah is one of my favorite places.

The arches there do not have the square/sharp edges that this arch has. Are the mechanisms that formed this arch somehow different?

[JimSEA]

Well worth the trip and the surrounding area is beautiful. For that matter, the Four Corners and the “goose necks of the San Juan, Canyon De Chelly, Window Rock, Ship Rock, etc. is all a must see. One of the great benefits of the Desert Southwest is that you can actually see the rocks. :)

[Travis T. OJustice]

Thanks, Cog, pretty stuff.

Wasn’t there another arch that collapsed in the last couple years?

[cogitator]

The arches there do not have the square/sharp edges that this arch has. Are the mechanisms that formed this arch somehow different?

Good question; can't answer it authoritatively. I would *guess* that the age of the structures and the composition are the main determinants of the morphology. I.e., sandstone probably erodes faster and gets "rounded" more than harder rock. Sharp edges are also indicative of how the rock fractures (cleavage) -- most sandstones don't fracture sharply.

[BuglerTex]

bookmark for later

[cogitator]

Wall Arch in Arches National Park, this August 4. The Natural Bridge of Aruba collapsed a couple of years ago, too. (And of course the Old Man in the Mountain in New Hampshire fell down several years ago.) Erosion happens!

Wall Arch Collapses

[Godsgirl]

Pretty pictures...til ya reach bill ayers face.

[cogitator]

Pretty pictures...til ya reach bill ayers face.

I have no control over that; I had a singing video when I last checked.

[Henderson]

God Bless America. Do you think Rev. Wright would say still “God Dx America” even after seeing this beauty? I would love to take him out to some of my favoriate trails.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Pretty lighting in those photos.

[Barnacle]

How can you possibly think about geology at a time like this?!?

On second thought, ahhh... refreshing.