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Canyonlands National ParkSeedling in Biological Soil Crust
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Canyonlands National Park
Entrada Formation
 
photo: Delicate Arch, perhaps one of the best-known examples of the Entrada Formation.
NPS Photo by Tom Gray
Delicate Arch, perhaps one of the best-known examples of the Entrada Formation.
 

The Entrada Formation is composed of three members (listed from youngest to oldest): Moab Tongue, Slickrock and Dewey Bridge. Each has different characteristics due to changes in the depositional environment. The Arches of Arches National Park are usually in the Slickrock Member. This layer does not occur in Canyonlands.

Deposited
Mid- to late-Jurassic (144 to 208 million years ago)

Depositional Environment
Varied between tidal flat (Dewey Bridge) to near-shore sand dunes.

Appearance
Moab Tongue: Thin, red layer not heavily cross-bedded.
Slickrock: Red, cross-bedded, arch-forming sandstone.
Dewey Bridge: Lumpy, misshapen red sandstone

Example
Entrada is one of the dominant sandstones in Arches National Park.

Interactive Geologic Atlas
Interactive Geologic Atlas
Flash animations manage to simplify the story of Canyonlands.
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Common Raven  

Did You Know?
The common raven displays abilities to play and problem-solve rare among animals. This member of the crow family is also very vocal, using a variety of sounds for communication. Perhaps because of these qualities, ravens have achieved a certain stature in both European and Native American folklore.
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Last Updated: July 11, 2006 at 12:35 EST