RED ROCK CANYON

Here in Red Rock Canyon are many examples of different rock types and formations. There is gray limestone, Aztec Sandstone which is actually ancient sanddunes compressed over time into stone. Exposure to the elements caused some of the iron-bearing minerals to oxidize. This oxidizing process can easily be thought of as a "rusting of the sand," which results in red, orange, and tan colored rocks . The Mohave Desert is a delicate ecosystem which you can see in the foreground can be damaged by wildland fires. The fires destroy the plant root system and makes it difficult for the plants to establish themselves again.