Mitten Buttes, Arizona

Referred by: Phil Dombrowski
Summary author: Phil Dombrowski

Silhouetted at sunrise, Mitten Buttes in Monument Valley, Arizona, proudly stands over the barren landscape on the Navajo Indian Reservation, north of Kayenta, Arizona. Mitten Buttes consist of soft sandstone and date from approximately 250-300 million years ago (Cutler Formation). These upright monuments contain many vertical joints, which play a major role in their erosion. Mitten Buttes have been the setting for several John "Duke" Wayne westerns. See also the Earth Science Picture of the Day for November 23, 2004. Photo taken in April of 2007. [Revised September 2017]

Related Links:

• About Sandstone
• Geologic Glossary
• Geologic Time
• Virtual Geology Museum
• Arizona’s Regional Geology
• Navajo Nation