Cedar Mesa Sandstone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedar Mesa Sandstone Stratigraphic range: Early Permian, 286–245Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Druid Arch in Canyonlands National Park, an eroded fin of Cedar Mesa Sandstone
Type	Geological member
Unit of	Cutler Formation
Underlies	Organ Rock Shale
Overlies	Elephant Canyon Formation Halgaito Member
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	37°23′N 109°55′W / 37.383°N 109.917°W / 37.383; -109.917
Region	Colorado Plateau
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Cedar Mesa
Named by	Arthur A. Baker John B. Reeside, Jr., 1929

The Cedar Mesa Sandstone is a special type of sandstone rock layer. It's part of a bigger rock group called the Cutler Formation. You can find this rock in the southwestern United States, including parts of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

What is Cedar Mesa Sandstone?

This rock layer is made from ancient sand dunes that were once along a coast. These dunes turned into rock about 245 to 286 million years ago, during a time called the Permian period.

How it Formed

The Cedar Mesa Sandstone often has cool red and white stripes. This happened because floods sometimes carried red, iron-rich dirt from nearby mountains when the rock was forming. This iron mixed with the sand, giving it its unique colors.

Where to Find It

The Cedar Mesa Sandstone gets its name from a place called Cedar Mesa in Utah, near the San Juan River.

You can see this rock forming tall spires and deep canyons in places like Canyonlands National Park. It also makes the amazing natural bridges at Natural Bridges National Monument.

Images for kids

• 

  Druid Arch in Canyonlands National Park, an eroded fin of Cedar Mesa Sandstone