Sedimentary Rock

It looks like we might be on the surface of the moon. But, we're not. We're right here on Earth. How did these stones get all of these cool looking curves and holes and cracks?

Well, this stone is called sandstone. It is a kind of sedimentary rock. What is sediment? Y'know when you find a water puddle in mud after it rains? If you stir up the puddle with a stick, little pieces of leaves and dirt make the water look dirty. But then the stuff settles down to the bottom of the puddle. The water looks clear again. Sand and things that were once alive will float to the bottom of the oceans and lakes. This layer of stuff at the bottom is called sediment. Over millions of years, these layers of sediment will turn into rock. So you get...sedimentary rock.

Wind has blown over this sedimentary rock. Rain has fallen onto this sedimentary rock. The wind and the rain take little pieces of sand with them. The rain will take the sand downstream. The wind will blow the sand onto another rock or field.
The wind and rain work together to carve the sandstone. The wind and the rain made all of these cool shapes. It took a loooooonnnnnnng time to do this.

Can you think of something that happens that can make the Earth change fast? Something that you have safety drills for in school? Something that makes the Earth shake?? Did you say earthquake? Then you are correct. Look at the second picture. See the pink line next to that big crack? That crack used to be flat like a floor.

This hill is made up of layers of sandstone. Believe it or not, all of this used to be under an OCEAN! Yup, a looooooooonnnnnnnnng time ago, these rocks were sedimentary layers on the bottom of the ocean. The ocean dried up. The layers of sedimentary rock were left with no water on top of them. Then, over many years, earthquakes pushed the rocks. Earthquakes moved the rocks from being flat, like a floor, to up at an angle. Millions of years ago, that these cracks used to be flat, or horizontal. Then earthquakes forced the rock up at an angle. Amazing!

So these rocks used to be stacked up like pieces of computer paper. Then, over time, rain and wind carved them. Earthquakes broke them and pushed them up and down. The wind, the rain, and earthquakes made some secret hiding places in the second picture. Can you find them?

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