Long before the dinosaurs roamed Montana this area was an
ocean floor between two tectonic plates that eventually collided to form the
North American continent. Because of that, the park is littered with oceanic
fossils. Just about every rock you pick up has a scallop shell fossil embedded
in it.
As the plates moved together the earth’s crust rose,
creating a wet tropical climate where Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex flourished.
While most of the fossilized bones are in universities and more prestigious museums,
some of the local dinosaur remains are on display in the nice and compelling
visitor center.
An ice age descended on this area after the dinosaurs became
extinct. Therefore, glacial carving exists, as well as gulleys created by the
water from the glaciers as they melted. The effects are multicolored gulch walls
and well-balanced cap rocks. While being August and really too hot to hike, we
managed to get out early in the morning and get up close and personal with the
geology. What a treat!
Talk to you soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment