Of the four disciplines included in earth science, geology is my favorite. Mid-Michigan does not have many interesting geological features so whenever we go on vacation we try to see any unique features that are near our destination. This summer our vacation took us west to North and South Dakota (and places in between). I have already shared pictures of Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, and Devil's Tower National Monument. Now I want to share a few pics from two other destinations.
First up is a feature known as "The Castles". This limestone feature is found in the Custer National Forest near Reva, SD. It is listed as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
My favorite feature of these rocks is the tilted beds of limestone seen in the next image. It's pretty amazing to think that these beds would have originally been deposited horizontally, then tilted, partially eroded, and then overlain with more horizontal layers of rock.
The next set of images comes from our visit to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora, SD. This unit of the park centers on an area known as the North Dakota Badlands. While not as monumental as the Badlands of South Dakota, the scenery is still spectacular.
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