Stained Granite at The Hazards, Tasmania
October 29, 2012
Photographer: Don Cherry
Summary Author: Don Cherry
Years of running water have stained the bare rock faces of the granite at The Hazards on the Freycinet Peninsula in eastern Tasmania, Australia. This Devonian-aged granite forms the main spine of a prominent range on the island, reaching about 2,035 ft (620 m) above sea level. The spine is the eroded remains of a mountain building process, which stretched far north into Victoria (mainland Australia).
The deep pinkish color of the medium to coarse-grained granite is due to iron impurities in the orthoclase feldspar. In other parts of the Peninsula, closer to the water level, a rich orange pigmentation is found -- attributable to lichen growing on the rock surface just above the wave zone. Not only is this area impressive for its colored granite, but the local sandy beaches, such as the famous Wineglass Bay, are made of pure white quartz sand, forming long arcing stretches between the granite promontories. The pink granite quarried here has been used in building architecture in Tasmania and at the Parliament House in the Australian capital of Canberra. This area was declared a National Park in 1916. Photo taken on September 27, 2012.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 600D; Lens: EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II; Focal Length: 90mm; Focus Distance: Infinite; Aperture: f/5.0; Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows.
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