The White Domes of Canaan Mountain
November 29, 2023
Photographer: Stan Wagon
Summary Author: Stan Wagon
Scenic domes, made of Navajo sandstone, are quite common on the Colorado Plateau of the southwestern U.S. The White Domes in the Canaan Mountain Wilderness south of Zion National Park, featured above, are a fine example. One explanation for the striations and color changes is that grain size in the sand dunes varies with the strength of the wind that formed the dune. Then, upon eventual hardening, the sandstone permeability to water varies, which affects the amount of iron that leaches into the sand. Note, the trees here are ponderosa pines.
Photo details: SONY A6500 camera; 19 mm lens; 1/400 second exposure; f/14; ISO 125.
Canaan Mountain Wilderness, Utah Coordinates: 37.0822829, -112.9831405
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