Geo 1095: March 22, Day 811: Badlands Close-Up

Here we have a closer look at how the lower unit has weathered and eroded into an (albeit small-scale) example of badlands morphology (described in more detail a few posts back). It was about this point I realized this rock was not what I expected it to be, which was a more or less homogenous, uniformly composed, ash bed. Having driven by this outcrop probably nearly a hundred times, I was assuming an unwarranted degree of familiarity. Pro-tip: Never make assumptions about rock you haven't looked at carefully... or at least, detailed assumptions.

Photo unmodified. October 9, 2012. FlashEarth Location.