Fire and Ice Cathedral Holy City

Fire and Ice Cathedral in the Holy City Rock Formation outside of Wapiti, Wyoming, just outside the East entrance to Yellowstone National... more

by Janice Pariza

Title

Fire and Ice Cathedral Holy City

Artist

Janice Pariza

Medium

Photograph

Description

Fire and Ice Cathedral in the Holy City Rock Formation outside of Wapiti, Wyoming, just outside the East entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Resembling a silhouette of the ancient city of Jerusalem, these formations reveal the earth’s history in records before human timekeeping. Created millions of years ago by volcanoes, these unique formations reveal a geologic era of chaos and fury. Erosion of these rocks continues to shape the earth’s landscape just as it has for the last 50 million years? Fifty million years ago Volcanoes were erupting one afer another with each eruption equalling the magnitude of Mt. St. Helens in 1990. A thick, soupy mixture of rock and ash blanketed the entire region. Known as “breccia”, this mixture of rock and ash slowly cooled. Runoff from the streams and gullies began carving through the soft breccia, sculpting these unique rock formations. Wind blew tiny bits of sand and dust at the rock further eroding it. Small streams widened to gullies carving deeper into the breccia on its way down to the river.

Uploaded

October 16th, 2013