Follow the Water Stop 12 of 13 (Site 12c)

Follow the Water Stop 12 of 13 (Site 12c)

Ventifacts: Every geomorphologist loves ventifacts.  Wind carries small sand grain sized particles a couple feet off the ground.  When blown over long enough periods, the sand particles can abrade gravels and boulders and turn them into ventifiacts.  The grooves and facets in the rock show the prevailing wind and the power of scouring sand on the resistant basalt cobbles. Notice that these rocks are dark, because they are naturally dark basalt rocks.  There is no rock varnish coating these rocks, because the quartz sand grains are much harder than the varnish. While playing at this ventifact field we uncovered a little friend, a king snake.