Geologic Cross section of the layers of The Grand Staircase from Bryce through Zion to the Grand Canyon National Parks. Note the Templecap at the top of the towers of Zion Canyon.
The Temple Cap is exposed exclusively in the Southwest corner of Utah (atop the spires of Zion National Park), whereas the Page Sandstone stretches all the way into the center of the state. Both share similiar ages, but the Page is thicker and was formed by a separate erg, with far less marine influence. (ie. the slumping visible in the temple cap as the Sundance seaway covered the dune systems)
Age: Middle Jurassic
Depositional Environment: Eolian, Marginal marine
Paleogeography:
In the Middle Jurassic, Utah lay closer to the equator creating an arid, eolian environment (Blakey 2008). Sedimentation was controlled by sea level, climate and tectonics. The Sundance sea entered the area from the north due to a global sea level rise. This was a time of subsidence most likely due to a sag next to west lying Nevadan highlands. The Page Sandstone is confined to the south central portion of Utah and north central regions of Arizona. Narrowing of the seaway in northern Utah encroached and inundated onto the Page Sandstone erg to cease the eolian deposition.
Tectonics:
In the Middle Jurassic, parts of Utah were in a period of mountain-building phase. Tectonic activity, like the Nevada Orogeny, was centered in the northeast portion of Nevada and volcanic highlands were located to the south and southwest. Folding and thrusting from the orogeny led to subsidence and a foreland basin.
Features:
The Page Formation was a large dune field (erg/eolian system) ranging from northern Arizona, in the Middle Jurassic, that extended northward across a band within Utah to Wyoming (Fillmore 2000). It was separated to the west by a tidal-flat/sabkha complex and then the Sundance seaway. The Sundance seaway expanded and extended southward and eastward and as it retreated, the Page erg followed and expanded over the sabkha sediments. Page Sandstone and the Carmel Formation comprise a mix of marine, sabkha, fluvial systems of the Carmel (marinal marine and marine) and eolian deposits of the Page Sandstone.
The Page Sandstone is subdivided into three members. The lowermost member, the Harris Wash Tongue, is the thickest and is composed of trough cross-bedded sands grading up into planar-bedded sands. This indicates a transition from a dune field to a sand sheet environment, which could indicate that the environment was becoming wetter through time. The next member is the recessive, shaley Judd Hollow Tongue, which records a wet, muddy flood plain environment. This would have been the wettest period during the deposition of the Page Sandstone and would have been marked by the presence of lakes, fluvial channels and an absence of sand dunes. The top member is the Thousand Pockets Tongue, composed primarily of trough cross strata that are smaller in size than the lower Harris Wash Tongue. This indicates a return to a drier environment with sand dunes, after the wet Judd Hollow interval.This picture shows some soft sediment deformation in the east side of the former Fremont River channel. In the right side of the picture the bedding is trough cross stratification, fairly typical to the Navajo Sandstone. To the left side of the picture the strata are vertical, and in between the strata curve from vertical to pointing to the upper right. The origin of this soft sediment deformation is unknown, though it has been speculated that it is a fluid escape structure. Fluid escape structures do not usually leave behind vertically bedded strata, so the ultimate cause of the soft sediment is still a mystery.
Description:
The Page Sandstone is the deposit of the Page coastal dune field during the Jurassic. It overlies and in is separated from the Navajo Sandstone by the continental-scale J2 unconformity. During the Jurassic, the adjacent Carmel Sea experienced several fluctuations in sea level, affecting the position of the water table in the Page Erg. Highstands in the Carmel are associated with high watertable elevations in the Page dune field that are tied to development of polygonally-fractured sabkha surfaces, and the preservation of some portion of underlying aeolian cross-strata. The packages of lowstand aeolian strata, bounded by sabkha deposits and/or polygonally-fractured surfaces represent parasequences within the overall transgressive succession of the Page Sandstone.
The occurrence of an extensive wet sabkha surface prohibited dune field development and this lack of wind-blown sand lead to surface deflation down to elevation of the water table. As such, each parasequence bounding surface represents a reset of the dune field pattern, and provides an opportunity to correlate stratigraphic architecture to paleo-environmental conditions
Modern Analog to Utah’s Middle Jurassic
Many modern analogs have been proposed for the desert ergs, sabkha’s and limestone’s of Utah’s Middle Jurassic, but we favor Africa & the Turkmenistan/Caspian Basin as it includes all the depositional environments found for this geologic period.
.
Paleogeography or Depiction of Utah during Middle Jurassic
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
What is the Grand Staircase?
The Grand Staircase is a unique and extensive exposure of Earth’s history, showcasing over 200 million years of sedimentary rock layers. Geologists often liken these layers to a “book,” allowing for a detailed study of the Earth’s past, including changes in climate and environment.
The major sedimentary rock units exposed in the Grand Canyon range in age from 200 million to 600 million years and were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments. The nearly 40 identified rock layers of Grand Canyon form one of the most studied geologic columns in the world.
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Geologic Cross section of the layers of The Grand Staircase from Bryce through Zion to the Grand Canyon National Parks. Note the Carmel at the top of the Zion NP sequence.
Within the Grand Staircase, the Curtis Formation is best exposed in east of Capital Reef National Park just south of Goblin Valley State Park.
Age: Middle Jurassic, 160 Ma
Depositional Environment: Full marine, shallow marine to sabkha (and supratidal)
Paleogeography:
Frequent, but short-lived sea level fluctuations during the Middle to Late Jurassic caused periodically flooding from shallow extensions of the ocean. Flooding deposited gypsum, sand, and limey silt in depressed blocks of land that were bordered by parallel faults (grabens), and were periodically covered by sea water. Evaporites were deposited from repeated flooding during this time.
Tectonics:
Stable, some volcanism with subduction to the west.
Climate:
With paleolatitude range of 5 to 25 degrees north, the paleoclimate was both hot and arid (Kocurek & Dott, 1983).
Features:
The Carmel Formation is composed of 200 to 1,000 feet (60 to 300 m) of reddish-brown siltstone, mudstone and sandstone that alternates with whitish-gray gypsum and fossil-rich limestone in a banded pattern. Fossils include marine bivalves and ammonites. The Carmel formation contains massive limestone beds in varying shades of gray, but also contains brittle limestone beds that weather into hard angular chips. The limestone beds can also be sandy and some contain ripple marks. Various types of soft sediment deformation also characterize the Carmel Formation. Typical Carmel exposures occurs as a series of low cliffs and steep slopes. In some areas, the Carmel Formation forms a resistant cap and slows the erosion of the underlying Navajo Sandstone.
View of the Morrison Formation, the Summerville Formation, the Curtis Formation, and the Entrada Formation.
Description:
The Carmel Formation consists of up to 1,000 feet (300 m) of mudrock and sandstone interbedded with limestone and gypsum. It was laid down in a shallow marine to sabkha environment,[1] into which terrigenous sediment was periodically carried. This gives the formation considerable lithological complexity.[3] The formation is underlain by the Navajo Sandstone, with the regional J-2 unconformity separating the two formations, or by the Temple Cap Formation. Portions of the Carmel Formation grade laterally eastward into the Page Sandstone.[2] The Carmel Formation in turn is overlain by the Entrada Formation.[3]
In the type area of southern Utah, the Carmel Formation is divided into the Judd Hollow Member, a basal limestone member; the Crystal Creek Member, mostly mudstone and siltstone, which grades into the Page Sandstone to the east; the Paria River Member, which is also siltstone and mudstone but is separated from the Crystal Creek Member by gypsum beds; and the Winsor Member, which is mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone separated from the Paria River by a basal limestone. Further east, the limestone marker bed pinches out, and the Winsor Member and Paria River Member become indistinguishable and are informally termed the upper member. The upper member contains volcaniclastic beds of rhyolite originating in a volcanic arc just off the edge of the Colorado Plateau.[4]
The formation preserves a Jurassic hardground, rare for North America
Modern Analog to Utah’s Middle Jurassic
Many modern analogs have been proposed for the desert ergs, sabkha’s and limestone’s of Utah’s Middle Jurassic, but we favor Africa & the Turkmenistan/Caspian Basin as it includes all the depositional environments found for this geologic period.
.
Paleogeography or Depiction of Utah during Middle Jurassic
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
What is the Grand Staircase?
The Grand Staircase is a unique and extensive exposure of Earth’s history, showcasing over 200 million years of sedimentary rock layers. Geologists often liken these layers to a “book,” allowing for a detailed study of the Earth’s past, including changes in climate and environment.
The major sedimentary rock units exposed in the Grand Canyon range in age from 200 million to 600 million years and were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments. The nearly 40 identified rock layers of Grand Canyon form one of the most studied geologic columns in the world.
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Geologic Cross section of the layers of The Grand Staircase from Bryce through Zion to the Grand Canyon National Parks. Note the Entrada is absent in Zion but sits atop the Carmel Fm.
Without a doubt the most striking exposures of the Entrada Formation are in Arches National Park. Other great exposures exist in Canyonlands, Goblin Valley State Park and Lake Powell NRA.
Age: Upper Jurassic, 80 and 140 ma
Depositional Environment: Eolian, sabkha, and tidal flat. The Entrada Sandstone preserves terrestrial environments. Within the field trip area, the deposits generally indicate a high water table with some dunes (wet eolian) present. The bedding contains sandstone laminations, sand lenses with some lenses starved and encased in mud. This environment is broadly interpreted as a tidal regime (tidal flat) in this region.
Paleogeography:
In the Upper Jurassic, the supercontinent, Pangea, was beginning to break up with North American and Eurasia pulling apart from South America. Utah was closer to the equator with eastern Utah as a dry Sahara-like desert, with shallow seas that intermittently covered the area (Blakey 2008).
At around 170 Ma, the Goblin Valley State Park area was a wide tidal flat between the sea to the north and continental mountains and hills to the west. Tidal channels migrated across the tidal flats, routing flowing water to the open sea. Coastal sand dunes also covered parts of the tidal flats. Oscillatory tide motions were a dominant force in the deposition of this area. Silts, sands, and clays were primarily sourced from erosional debris shed from granitic highlands of Northwestern Utah and then were re-deposited in seas, shorelines, river channels, and playas.
Tectonics:
Goblin Valley State Park is near the edge of a regional system of faults that cut across the San Rafael Swell (Fillmore 2000, Milligan 2003). Several sets of microfaults divide the Entrada Sandstone into yard sized rhombohedral blocks. The blocks exhibit reduced grain size, decreasing porosity and permeability within the fractures. In Goblin Valley only small-scale fractures with small offsets may be visible.
Climate: warm and arid
Features:
The dark reddish color of the Entrada Sandstones comes mainly from the mineral hematite (an iron oxide and principal ore of iron) staining the sandstone. This is the same formation that makes up the natural arches of Arches National Park in southeastern Utah. A synthesis of the Entrada Sandstone is given in Carr and Kocurek (1993).
Joint or fracture patterns in the Entrada Sandstone create initial weak zones that become enlarged over time. Joints intersections are susceptible to weathering because of increased surface to area volume ratio. These joints weather quickly, creating spherical-shaped goblins, from spheroidal weathering (Milligan 2003). Interbedded and underlying shale and siltstone beds are capped by the sandstone beds. The soft shale and siltstone beds help create the smooth shaped pedestals in Goblin Valley State Park.
View of the Morrison Formation, the Summerville Formation, the Curtis Formation, and the Entrada Formation.
Description:
At its type section at Entrada Point, located in the northern part the San Rafael Swell in Emery County, Utah,[4] the Entrada consists of red silty sandstone and lesser interbedded mudstone and is a slope-forming formation. This part of the Entrada is sometimes described as the “earthy facies”.[5] Here the Entrada is overlain by the Curtis Formation, and overlies the Carmel Formation.[4] To the south and east, the Entrada transitions to cliff-forming red or white crossbedded sandstone, sometimes called the “slickrock facies”. This is actually more typical of the Entrada as a whole, and a principal reference section including both facies was designated by Peterson in 1988 at Pine Creek, 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) north of Escalante, Utah, in the Kaiparowits Basin.[5]
At the reference section in the Kaiparowitz Basin, the Entrada is 314 meters (1,030 ft) thick and is divided into three informal members. The lower member is 113 meters (371 ft) of orange-red silty sandstone, with occasional beds of red mudstone, corresponding to the earthy facies. The middle member is 132 meters (433 ft) of red to green mudstone interbedded with red to white sandstone. The upper member is 69 meters (226 ft) of crossbedded white sandstone.[6] The white color is attributed to bleaching by organic-rich fluids from overlying beds. The formation rests on the Carmel Formation and is overlain by the Morrison Formation.[7]
In the Curtis Mountains region of northeastern Arizona, the Entrada is overlain by the Wanakah Formation.[8]
In the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico, the Entrada consists of upper and lower sandy members and a medial silty member, the Rehoboth Member. The Curtis Formation is sometimes absent and the Entrada then overlies Chinle Formation. It is overlain by the Todilto Formation. Southeast of Fort Defiance, Arizona, the lower sandy beds are assigned to the Iyanbito Member. Total thickness is up to 37 meters (121 ft).[8]
In the Slick Rock, Colorado area, the Entrada is divided into a “middle sandstone”, the Rehoboth Member, and the Slick Rock Member, in ascending order
Modern Analog to Utah’s Middle Jurassic
Many modern analogs have been proposed for the desert ergs, sabkha’s and limestone’s of Utah’s Middle Jurassic, but we favor Africa & the Turkmenistan/Caspian Basin as it includes all the depositional environments found for this geologic period.
.
Paleogeography or Depiction of Utah during Middle Jurassic
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
What is the Grand Staircase?
The Grand Staircase is a unique and extensive exposure of Earth’s history, showcasing over 200 million years of sedimentary rock layers. Geologists often liken these layers to a “book,” allowing for a detailed study of the Earth’s past, including changes in climate and environment.
The major sedimentary rock units exposed in the Grand Canyon range in age from 200 million to 600 million years and were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments. The nearly 40 identified rock layers of Grand Canyon form one of the most studied geologic columns in the world.
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Within the Grand Staircase, the Curtis Formation is best exposed in east of Capital Reef National Park just south of Goblin Valley State Park.
Age: Deposited from early to late Oxfordian time (161 – 155 Ma) (Wilcox, 2007).
Depositional Environment:
Marine and marginal-marine tidal flat. Comprises one unconformably-bound, transgressive-regressive (T-R) sequence (Wilcox, 2007).
Paleogeography:
A major transgression of the Late Jurassic seaway drowned the eolian sand sea of the Entrada Formation. Subsequent regressive paleoflow was to the northeast into the Late Jurassic interior seaway (Kocurek & Dott, 1983).
Tectonics:
Deposition was in a retroarc to craton-margin basin as the region drifted north (Kocurek & Dott, 1983).
Climate:
With paleolatitude range of 5 to 25 degrees north, the paleoclimate was both hot and arid (Kocurek & Dott, 1983).
Features:
The Curtis Formation shows a variety of nearshore sedimentary structures (e.g. horizontal bedding -> beach, rhythmites and sigmoidal bundles -> tidal). The Jurassic “J3” unconformity, a regional surface of erosion atop the Entrada Formation, marks the basal bounding surface of the Curtis-Summerville T-R sequence. A thin, lower Curtis transgressive systems tract is the finest grained facies of the Curtis Formation topped by a maximum flooding surface. Thick middle and upper Curtis deposits represent a highstand systems tract reflected in upward coarsening cycles from marine shelf to tidal channels to shoreface envirionments. The upper sequence is tidal flat, reddish-brown mudstones and evaporites of the Summerville Formation topped by the “J5” unconformity, the upper sequence bounding surface and the contact with overlying Morrison Formation (Wilcox, 2007).
View of the Morrison Formation, the Summerville Formation, the Curtis Formation, and the Entrada Formation.
Description:
The Curtis Formation is composed of shallow marine sandstone, with thin beds of mudstone and minor limestone and gypsum. The sandstone is grayish-green in color and flat bedded or cross bedded. The presence of glauconite and marine invertebrate fossils indicates it was laid down in a shallow marine environment that became hypersaline towards the end of deposition. It represents a high stand of the Sundance Sea in the Callovian
The formation was first described by Gilluly and Reeside in 1928 and named for exposures in the northeast San Rafael Reef at Curtis Point (39.126665°N 110.447615°W). Pipiringos and Imlay reassigned the Curtis as a member of the Stump Formation in 1979,[2] but this was rejected by Peterson in 1988.
Modern Analog to Utah’s Middle Jurassic
Many modern analogs have been proposed for the desert ergs, sabkha’s and limestone’s of Utah’s Middle Jurassic, but we favor Africa & the Turkmenistan/Caspian Basin as it includes all the depositional environments found for this geologic period.
.
Paleogeography or Depiction of Utah during Middle Jurassic
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
What is the Grand Staircase?
The Grand Staircase is a unique and extensive exposure of Earth’s history, showcasing over 200 million years of sedimentary rock layers. Geologists often liken these layers to a “book,” allowing for a detailed study of the Earth’s past, including changes in climate and environment.
The major sedimentary rock units exposed in the Grand Canyon range in age from 200 million to 600 million years and were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments. The nearly 40 identified rock layers of Grand Canyon form one of the most studied geologic columns in the world.
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Within the Grand Staircase, the Summerville Formation is best exposed in east of Capital Reef National Park just south of Goblin Valley State Park.
Age: Deposited Middle Jurassic, early to late Oxfordian time (161 – 155 Ma) (Wilcox, 2007).
Depositional Environment:
Marginal marine and sabkha/tidal. One unconformably-bound, transgressive-regressive (T-R) sequence, marine (saline lacustrine?) and marginal-marine (Wilcox, 2007).
Paleogeography:
A major transgression of the Late Jurassic seaway drowned the eolian sand sea of the Entrada Sandstone. Subsequent regressive paleoflow was to the northeast into the Late Jurassic interior seaway (Kocurek & Dott, 1983, Blakey 2008).
Tectonics:
Deposition was in a retroarc to craton-margin basin as the region drifted north (Kocurek & Dott, 1983).
Climate:
Hot & Arid. Kocurek & Dott, 1983 suggest paleolatitude range of 5 to 25 degrees north. I disagree and suggest 25-40 degrees north within a stark rain shadow of the ancient Navadaplano, similar to current Mapmi basin in Mexico.
Features:
The Summerville is noted for its thin red beds of rippled sandstones and mud cracks, overprinted with secondary gypsum veins. The Jurassic “J3” unconformity, a regional surface of erosion atop the Entrada Sandstone, marks the basal bounding surface of the Curtis-Summerville T-R sequence. A thin, lower Curtis transgressive systems tract is the finest grained facies of the Curtis Formation topped by a maximum flooding surface. Thick middle and upper Curtis represents a highstand systems tract reflected in upward coarsening cycles from marine shelf to tidal channels to shoreface. The upper sequence is tidal flat, reddish-brown mudstones and evaporites of the Summerville Fm topped by the “J5” unconformity, the upper sequence bounding surface and the contact with overlying Morrison Formation (Wilcox, 2007).
View of the Morrison Formation, the Summerville Formation, the Curtis Formation, and the Entrada Formation.
Description:
The Summerville formation consists of up to 100 meters (330 ft) of red mudstone, with thin interbeds of green and red sandstone. The lower portion of the formation shows polygonal desiccation cracks and localized salt-hopper casts while the upper portion contains considerable gypsum, consistent with deposition in a sabkha on the margin of the Sundance Sea.It is exposed in the San Rafael Reef, the Waterpocket Fold, in the Henry Mountains, with additional exposures scattered across the region from the San Rafael Reef to the Paradox Basin, and in north-central New Mexico. The thin bedding is characteristic throughout the formation, but gypsum is not found in the San Juan Basin and some conglomerate is found on the south and southwestern margins of the formation. The correlation of late Jurassic beds in northwestern New Mexico with the Summerville Formation in Utah has been questioned, and it has been suggested that they be assigned to the Beclabito Formation instead.
The Summerville Formation rests conformably on the underlying Curtis Formation (Utah and western Colorado) or Todilto Formation (southwest Colorado and New Mexico) but is separated from the overlying Morrison Formation by the regional J5 unconformity.[1] It thins significantly in the Moab-La Sal area, the likely area of the divide between the marine Curtis basin to the northwest and the salina lake Todilto basin to the southeast. Here the formation is just 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) thick and rests directly on Entrada Sandstone. In many locations the Summerville is separated from the Morrison by eolian sandstones, such as the Bluff Sandstone, variously assigned to the Morrison Formation or the San Rafael Group. The Morrison Formation represents a return to more humid conditions with increased clastic input.
Modern Analog to Utah’s Middle Jurassic
Many modern analogs have been proposed for the desert ergs, sabkha’s and limestone’s of Utah’s Middle Jurassic, but we favor Africa & the Turkmenistan/Caspian Basin as it includes all the depositional environments found for this geologic period.
.
Paleogeography or Depiction of Utah during Middle Jurassic
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
What is the Grand Staircase?
The Grand Staircase is a unique and extensive exposure of Earth’s history, showcasing over 200 million years of sedimentary rock layers. Geologists often liken these layers to a “book,” allowing for a detailed study of the Earth’s past, including changes in climate and environment.
The major sedimentary rock units exposed in the Grand Canyon range in age from 200 million to 600 million years and were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments. The nearly 40 identified rock layers of Grand Canyon form one of the most studied geologic columns in the world.
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Within the Grand Staircase, the Morrison Formation is best exposed in Capital Reef National Park.
Age: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) 155-148 Ma
Depositional Environment: Alluvial plain, fluvial channels and floodplains with paleosols
Tectonics:
Subduction to the west created a back arc rift basin (between Morrison basin and paleo Pacific Ocean). Mountain ranges (rift shoulder) to the west were source for clastic sediment Calderas in rift basin provided abundant ash fall during Brushy Basin deposition
Climate:
Located ~32° N (modern southern AZ) Prevailing easterly winds (present day NE due to rotation of plate) Warm, dry climate with high evaporation
Mostly ground and surface water flowing to the east (present day NE)
Losing streams with associated riparian environments prograding to the east
Floodplains with paleosols; grassy savannahs
Description:
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone, and limestone and is light gray, greenish gray, or red. Most of the fossils occur in the green siltstone beds and lower sandstones, relics of the rivers and floodplains of the Jurassic period.
It is centered in Wyoming and Colorado, with outcrops in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. Equivalent rocks under different names are found in Canada.[2] It covers an area of 1.5 million square kilometers (600,000 square miles), although only a tiny fraction is exposed and accessible to geologists and paleontologists. Over 75% is still buried under the prairie to the east, and much of its western paleogeographic extent was eroded during exhumation of the Rocky Mountains.
It was named after Morrison, Colorado, where some of the first fossils in the formation were discovered by Arthur Lakes in 1877. That same year, it became the center of the Bone Wars, a fossil-collecting rivalry between early paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. In Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, the Morrison Formation was a major source of uranium ore.
Figure 1: Paleogeographic map of the Middle Jurassic, Page Sandstone, Carmel Formation, Entrada Sandstone, Curtis Formation, and Summerville Formation. (Blakey, 2008)
Utah’s Colorado Plateau is famous for its striking vistas and dazzling colors. Hues of red, pink, maroon, yellow, brown, and white create an array of stunning rock colors that attract visitors from all over the globe. From the red rocks of the Navajo Sandstone to the Vermilion Cliffs of the Moenave and Kayenta Formations to the pink, crimson, and chocolate cliffs of the upper Grand Staircase, many who visit the Colorado Plateau wonder what gives the rocks their brilliant colors. This question has spurred much research by geologists, involving chemical and physical analysis. The answers can be complicated, as many different minerals can cause coloration in rocks; however, for the most part, the red, pink, yellow, and brown colors of Utah’s “Red Rock Country” simply comes down to one element—iron.
Coloration of the Navajo Sandstone caused by post-depositional movement of the iron mineral hematite. (Photo credit Peter Fitzgerald, GNU Free Documentation License)
Since minerals form the basis for many pigments and dyes, it should be no surprise that they are also responsible for the coloration of rocks. Of all the common colorful minerals found in Earth’s crust, few are as abundant, dynamic, and multi-colored as iron. Depending on how it combines with other elements, iron can form a veritable rainbow of colors. When iron combines with oxygen it becomes iron oxide, and its degree of oxidation largely determines its color. Ochre, a mixture of clay, sand, and iron oxide, has been one of the most commonly mined mineral pigments for tens of thousands of years and is composed of the same minerals that often color rocks. Obtained from iron-bearing clays, ochre can produce several colors and hues that are used as natural coloring agents. Red ochre comes from hematite (Fe2O3), a mineral named for the same Greek root word for blood, and has long been used as a red pigment. Some iron oxides, when hydrated (combined with hydrogen and oxygen), can form bright yellows such as yellow ochre which comes from the mineral limonite (FeO(OH)+H2O). Brown ochre comes from the mineral goethite (FeO(OH)) and is a partially hydrated iron oxide. Iron can also form black pigments from minerals such as magnetite (Fe3O4), or even blue and green hues from minerals such as glauconite and illite. For the most part, these iron minerals, and particularly hematite, are responsible for coloring the Colorado Plateau’s sedimentary rock layers.
The Amazon River’s “meeting of waters” is a fantastic example of the different water chemistries likely responsible for the coloration of ancient sediments. The Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, is a “blackwater” river which is clear, slightly acidic, and contains high concentrations of reduced iron. The Amazon, however, has lower concentrations of iron and dissolved solids, but a higher sediment load and oxidized iron giving it its reddish-brown color. (Photo credit Gabriel Heusi, Wikimedia, Creative Commons license.)
Researchers have questioned how the pigment-bearing iron minerals get into rocks like sandstone and shale as well as how the minerals are dispersed within the rock. One might suspect that the brightly colored minerals might be sprinkled throughout the sand and clays or cements that composed the sandstone and shale units—something like chili powder, evenly mixed within the salt. However, by looking at thinly cut sections of rock under a microscope, it becomes clear that this is typically not the case in Utah’s Color Country rock. Instead, the very sand grains that form the matrix of the rock units are actually “frosted” or coated with a layer of iron-rich mineralization. These grains are then cemented together with a pale to white calcite or silicate glue. In the case of sandstone units like the prominent Navajo or Wingate Sandstone, the sand is composed almost entirely of translucent or white quartz grains that are coated with a thin veneer of red hematite mineralization. Although the exact timing is debated among geologists, this “coating” of iron-bearing minerals likely began forming as the grains were transported from their place of erosion to their respective areas of deposition. The same process can be seen today as mineral-rich waters of semi-arid to tropical rivers mineralize large amounts of sediment as it is transported and deposited into adjoining basins.
The Amazon River’s “meeting of waters” is a fantastic example of the different water chemistries likely responsible for the coloration of ancient sediments. The Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, is a “blackwater” river which is clear, slightly acidic, and contains high concentrations of reduced iron. The Amazon, however, has lower concentrations of iron and dissolved solids, but a higher sediment load and oxidized iron giving it its reddish-brown color. (Photo credit Gabriel Heusi, Wikimedia, Creative Commons license.)
Multicolored sections of the Navajo Sandstone in the Zion National Park area.
After the sediment is buried, moving groundwater can further mineralize and alter the red rock to change it to varying shades of pink, vermilion, maroon, or even white. In southern Utah, the upper parts of the Navajo and Entrada Sandstones often exhibit areas referred to as “bleached zones.” This term refers to areas where reducing groundwaters have partially removed the iron oxide coating from the sand grains. A reducing agent is a solvent that can remove oxygen from a compound. So in the case of the iron pigments that colored the Navajo Sandstone, groundwater that was slightly acidic or contained other reducing agents seems to have dissolved large amounts of iron mineralization from the upper sections, often redepositing the iron in cracks, joints, or different sections of the sandstone that possess irregularities in grain size. Areas that have lost iron oxide become lighter shades of pink and white, whereas areas that gained additional iron oxide from the groundwater movement become darker shades of maroon and even black. In most cases, these color alterations likely happened while the units were deeply buried beneath the surface. However, because these units are so permeable, allowing water to flow easily through them, water has continued migrating, dissolving bits of iron and other minerals even after they have been exposed by erosion. The dissolved minerals often get left behind on canyon walls and surfaces as the water evaporates, contributing to the creation of the well-known “desert varnish” on the rock face.
Iron nodules, often called “Moqui marbles,” weathering out of the Navajo Sandstone. The nodules here range from about 1 to 4 inches in diameter.
Iron nodules, often called “Moqui marbles,” weathering out of the Navajo Sandstone. The nodules here range from about 1 to 4 inches in diameter.
Another interesting feature of post-depositional iron-oxide movement within southern Utah’s sandstones are Moqui marbles (see “Glad You Asked” article in the September 2017 issue of Survey Notes). Moqui marbles are spherical concretions or nodules of hematite and sandstone that are formed as large amounts of reducing water dissolve hematite and illite minerals from one part of the sandstone and redeposit them around a point of nucleation. It is unclear what creates the nucleation spot for these iron concretions, but once the hematite begins to bind to some type of ionized nucleus, a chemical reaction begins causing more dissolved hematite to precipitate out of solution around existing nodules.
The amount of iron-oxide mineralization that gives Utah’s sandstones their color is typically very small. One in-depth analysis of rock coloration in the Navajo Sandstone found that minuscule differences in iron-oxide mineralization can mean the difference between red, pink, and white sandstone. For instance, red sandstone contained an average of 0.7 percent of iron oxide within the samples, whereas a sample of “bleached” white sandstone contained 0.2 percent. Pink samples seem to have nearly the same amount of iron minerals as the deep red samples; however, the iron in the pink sections of rock is largely stripped from the original grain coatings and redeposited in voids between the sand grains.
Although geologists are confident about the minerals involved in coloring Utah’s red rocks, many questions remain. Some of these involve the extent to which ancient folding, petroleum migration, or even deep geothermal waters might have played a role in the mineralization and coloring of the rocks. Regardless of the answers, all can agree that the colors of the rocks in Utah’s Colorado Plateau region make for some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE:
Nielson, G. B., Chan, M. A., and Petersen, E.U., 2009, Diagenetic coloration facies and alteration history of the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Zion National Park and vicinity, southwestern Utah, in Tripp, B.T., Krahulec, K., and Jordan, J.L., editors, Geology and geologic resources and issues of western Utah: Utah Geological Association Publication 38, p. 67–96.
https://utahgeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image.png12661773Lance Weaverhttps://utahgeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/utah-geology-site-logo-420px.pngLance Weaver2024-02-25 02:14:592024-02-25 02:17:13What Makes the Rock Red (in Utah/Arches & Zion National Park)
Although my degree is in geology & geophysics, and not nuclear or astrophysics, I’v always had a keen interest in physics and would love to go back to school one day and get a graduate degree somewhere in that field. My advanced physics, geochronology and geophysics classes in college really interested and excited me. At just the age of 19 as I went through school I was flooded with the following ideas and insights and had strong impressions of where modern physical understandings were lacking.
As the internet grows I have found I am far from alone. Through the previous 20 years I’ve seen that numerous scientists are thinking about and trying to solve these same issues and independently coming to the same conclusions as I have. Because there are so many others, I am quite sure these issues will work themselves out over time. I think collaborative, academic bodies will eventually move our global understanding where it needs to be in order to fully understand the concepts my theories are working toward. In relation to my very unique theory for minor periodic true polar wandering and the relativity of radiometric dating, I will go over some of the basic principles of what I think mainstream science will one day mathematically & experimentally prove for certain.
Outline of Concepts (click to expand)
Outline
1. There are many poorly understood cycles in celestial mechanics, some of which affect many of the fundamental units of physics.
(give examples)
-what really is mass? how does it relate to time?
-what dictates nuclear stability and decay rates?
2. One of the most basic of these is the sun’s 11 yr solar cycle of solar maximum. This poorly understood cycle, which is almost certainly caused by a type of electrical resonance between the sun and Jupiter (and Saturn), reverses the sun’s electromagnetic field and causes massive electrical discharges and changes within the sun’s dynamo.
(give examples)
-sun and Jupiter are a binary pair, Jupiter’s period is ~11 years.
-they create a double circle resonance. when closest, their lines intertwine. Saturn & Jupiters 11 year orbit somehow drive the ~11 year solar cycle.
-also…
3. Many of the celestial mechanic principles which govern the orbits of bodies are still sometimes explained using archaic concepts of Newtonian mechanics. Understanding phenomena such as inertia, circular orbits, and mass/gravity in terms of quantum field mechanics helps to better explain the relativity and connectedness of our galaxy.
(give examples)
-the similarity between charge and gravity equations (force related to distance squared).
-The circular orbital behavior of a charged particle in a mag field.
-The standing wave and orbit of the earth.
-diagram of how the earth would create a mag field if it is a charged particle in a large oscillating mag field of the sun.
-channeled sources teach of 8 dimensions, a fractal analog is the 8 energy shells in atoms. this is where energy goes.
-speed of light (core atomic resonance of that frequency) dictates the dimension. it is dictated by the mag field of the next higher governing creation.
-throw in the concept of the sun or all matter being a vortex into the next dimension (like a drain sucking in matter & blowing out energy)
4.The galactic core, and many other systems within the universe also produce harmonics and orbital resonances (especially with gravity waves), which create cycles affecting our solar system and all bodies within the universe. The density waves which create our spiral arm geometry is an example. The most pertinent cycle for our solar system is a 600-800 yr & 3000-4200 year cycle which radically affects our sun and solar system.
(give examples)
-we only have mythological historical and channeled accounts to tell us about these theorized cycles.
-It appears to completely disrupt the solar system.
-causes a huge energetic exchange between the sun and its governing power (perhaps the galactic core?).
-The energetic exchanges change the z-number and nuclear stability; which changes most of the relative fundamentals such as mass, density and binding energy.
-Changes occurring during these cycles create changes in volume/density & angular velocity and momentum and are the primary driving force for plate tectonics.
5. Just like suns, every atom is a miniature vortex/whirlpool connecting dimensions. Just as differing densities in the ocean or atmosphere cause vortexes seeking equilibrium (tornadoes/whirlpools), so also are suns and subatomic particles 3D vortices which pull matter from one density/dimension, transform it and blow it into another density/dimension in the form of energy (matter goes in gravitationally and out electromagnetically). Somewhat like a slinky going down the stairs, all matter steps through the dimensions; each sun, planet and atom attracting to itself in one dimension until it dies and is re-created or born again in the next higher dimension. Everything has its analog across the dimensions. As galaxies and humans attract in this life, so we will manifest in the next.
6. The unified field is the master electromagnetic (quantum) field. Particles are simply well behaved ripples or vortices in the quantum field. The Strong, Weak, Gravitational and Magnetic attractive/repulsive forces are all different aspects of the same force–which have to do with alignment or misalignment of the vortices. What needs to be solved is the mechanism which shields some interactions and not others. What shields some elements from being magnetic? What shields the Strong Force in all but nucleic interactions? What shields the “magnetic” forces in celestial mechanics to make interactions behave “gravitationally”? Etc… To solve the shielding problem is to unify the forces. My guess is that the math behind this is beyond our current abilities. I believe it has to do with calculating the composite field interactions between every subatomic vortex in the field.
The cycles of celestial mechanics and their relationship to the fundamental units of physics
In our Galaxy there are many cycles which affect our earth and our measurements of space and time. The most fundamental of these cycles is obviously the earth day, which is essentially a measure one complete rotation of earth on its axis. Also well known are the year, the lunar cycle which months are loosely based on, and the less known Solar Cycle of 11 years where the sun reverses polarity. There are even greater cycles of such long duration that their exact mechanical characteristics are only speculative; such as our solar system’s movement within the Orion arm of the galaxy, our movement up and down across the galactic plane or equator, and our solar system’s orbit around the galactic core. I propose that these larger celestial cycles dictate all of our physical laws and measurements in ways many may not realize. It should be obvious that all our measurements of time are based on the velocity of the earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun, as well as the distance and size of the earth itself and its orbit. For instance, by changing the properties of inertia or the size of earth and/or its speed, you change the length of a ‘year’ and thus the 4.5x billion year date for the age of the earth and the age of everything in our geologic timeline. Einstein and many physicists like him came to realize over a century ago that all these measurements were relative to each-other and were dependent upon one’s reference frame in many complicated ways.
I suggest that there is no way to conclusively prove that the earth’s rotational velocity, orbital velocity or orbital period have been constant; and that in fact historical and mythological records seem to suggest to the contrary. I propose a cosmological model which suggests that our Solar System experiences long periods of relative stability interspersed by short bursts of extreme relativistic changes much like the suns 9-10 years of stable behavior interspersed by 1-3 years of erratic behavior during Solar Max. I suggest that special relativity and gravity waves can be used to suggest that large changes in the angular velocity of our solar system’s orbit in the galaxy, cause minor but significant changes in volume, density and even its mass, binding energy and other energetic properties of physics through time.
Two dimensional representation of the rate of change of Celestial Cycles. Peaks and troughs represent huge gravity waves emanating out from the Galactic Core, which cause short periods of intense change in spacetime, mass, angular velocity, and angular momentum. Areas of constant slope between peaks and trough represent areas of relative stability.
The Solar Cycle and Orbital Resonance
Our sun’s 11 year solar cycle has been well researched and documented. Roughly every 11 years the sun’s magnetic field collapses, reverses and realigns in a process corresponding with Solar Maximum, where the sun’s energetic output, sunspot activity and coronal mass ejection prevalence intensifies. Older models seeking to explain the cause of these cycles relied on classical physics explanations which saw the sun as a closed dynamo system. Newer models are beginning to explore how electro-magnetic and gravitational fields might actually be at play in these phenomena. Although well documented, it is not well known that the Sun and Jupiter are essentially a loose binary system, as the center of gravity of the two bodies lies outside the sun’s circumference. At roughly 1/10th the diameter of the sun, Jupiter is more than twice as massive than all the other planets combined. As Jupiter orbits the sun it tugs the sun toward itself by more than half the sun’s 800,000 mile diameter. The slight acceleration of the Sun’s mass and convective zone fluids created by this binary orbit between the Jupiter, the Sun & Saturn, I believe, creates drives the tidal forces within the sun as well as creating some type of electrical resonance of the two bodies and the entire solar system.
Jupiter’s massive size causes a slight tug on the sun in a binary or near-binary orbit. Their true center of gravity (barycenter) lies just outside the circumference of the Sun.Highly Exaggerated illustration of the binary nature of the Sun and Jupiter’s orbits, showing how orbital speed increases at maximum approach. This relationship could theoretically create an electric resonance which in turn interacts with the galactic field.
Many papers attempting to link Jupiter’s orbit (in combination with other planets) to the suns solar cycle (see Courtillot, 2021 or Stefani, 2019 for instance). However, all of them have been ignored or dismissed as no one has found a mathematical model convincing enough to account for the 0.7 to 0.8 year difference between the two. I contend that there’s absolutely no way that the 11.8 year periodicity of the Jovian orbit is not somehow connected to the 11.1 periodicity of the solar cycle and I suspect the difference in time has to do with a combination of electrical flow of Jupiter and only some planets pairing with Jupiter to affect the Suns internal magnetic flow, or perhaps simple neglect and misunderstanding of the important aspect of Jupiter’s up and down motion across the solar equator on the suns dynamo.
As depicted in the exaggerated illustration above, when these two massive bodies reach perihelion (their closest approach), their angular momentum increases slightly — this acceleration of mass and charge, undoubtedly induces some type of charge. (As a result of gravitational and electromagnetic principles I detail below, I suggest that Solar Max is somehow related to changes in the Sun’s rotational acceleration and not just by inner-body tidal forces caused by heat differentials). Perhaps the Solar Jovian exchange simply enhances or subtly drives the existing flow and imbalances in the sun’s internal dynamo. It is not entirely understood why the sun’s electromagnetic field always rebuilds in a switched polarity, but I suspect that either Jupiter’s orbital obliquity to the Solar Plane (which is 6.01 degrees) actually alternately snakes above and below the celestial equator with each orbit, or it is caused by some galactic influence such as our solar system’s position in the galactic field according to principles which will be discussed later in this article.
Although not well explored by astrophysicists, the above gravitational influences between Jupiter and the Suns magnetic field, internal producing plasma currents are fairly straight foreword results of known dynamo processes. However, I believe there are more non-Newtonian electrical influences of this Solar/Jovian movement that warrant further exploration. Particularly, the electrical current exchange between the sun and Jupiter following a Jupiter/Io model, as well as possible ulta-subtle gravity waves cased by the Jupiter’s acceleration of the sun.
Many ancient cultures have legends of a cataclysmic time cycle with a periodicity of catastrophe approximating 4.5-7,000 years. The Hindu Yuga, the Mayan Baktun and the Hebrew/Christian calendar are just a few examples. Although mired in myth, perhaps these legends are based on some type of subtle astronomical cycle.
Galactic Gravity Waves and their Possible Effects on our Sun and Earth
The small Gravity Waves theorized to possibly be caused by the sun’s acceleration and the electrical resonance created by the same process is extremely relevant in our discussion because I believe it serves as a microcosm or fractal of what is occurring in the Galactic Core. The dance or movement of these two bodies creates an alternating, radiating field disturbance which radiates throughout the and Galaxy and ends up affecting the gravitational and electrical properties of all smaller bodies. I believe it is this same phenomena occurring in our Galactic core which is responsible for the “arms” of our Galaxy, and more importantly, creating alternating regions or arms of high energy density and low energy density, (which also regulate the relativistic changes of many cosmic variables for our solar system such as inertia and gravity). Much like with the famous double slit experiment, this double wave interference pattern creates linear node alignments which radiate out from the center like sunbursts or spokes on a wheel. When the oscillating source of these interference waves is itself rotating, then the spokes become curved arms matching the ratio phi—just like we see in our galaxy. (see cosmometry.net for many amazing insights into the relationships of phi)
Understanding the gravity waves which likely shape our Galaxy. (take special note of the content near time 4:30)
As our solar system slowly moves through the pattern of electromagnetic waves and gravity waves emanated out from the galactic core, many fundamentals of physics change. Large gravity waves fold space-time on itself, causing relative changes in mass, density, inertia and solar energy output. I propose that rotating binary bodies in the center of the milky way are creating a wave pattern similar to those demonstrated in the experiments below. This pattern contains both reinforcing waves and canceling waves. Matter in the galaxy tends to get pushed into and congregate in the ‘arms’ which are composed of canceling waves (both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves). However as earth moves through these regions of reinforcing waves and canceling waves, the very fundamentals of physics change.
Imagine these oscillating balls representing the Sun and Jupiter (or similarly the Galactic Core & Sagittarius A East). Note the double interference pattern (especially the wave canceling “rays” or spokes radiating from the center). Now picture the entire system rotating and you would get the same condition existing in the Galactic core—it being responsible for the spiral arms of our Galaxy. Matter tends to be driven into the “quiet” or wave-cancelling arms.As the two massive bodies rotate, the double interference pattern spirals out from the center, creating arcs matching the arms of our galaxy.
Watch a sort of binary pair or star orbiting Sagittarius A at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. (starting at minute 0:50) Could this motion be responsible for the arm structure of the Galaxy? Could it be creating a pattern of waves which affect the earth on a periodicity of several thousand years and be responsible for true polar wandering events on earth?
Celestial Mechanics and a Unified Field Theory
Although containing four or more fundamental forces, science seems to be marching on in finding ways to explain the unified field that Einstein envisioned. There are many patterns and concepts concerning a possible unified field which any high school student can see, and in fact most college textbooks actually point out. Modern String theory is starting to validate previously pseudoscience “new age” theories that require multiple dimensions to make things work. Here, we’ll first cover the similarities in equations which govern classical vs. quantum mechanics. For an over simplified example, take for instance the similarities between law of universal gravitation and Coulomb’s law.
Universal Gravitation vs. Coulomb’s Law
It should be obvious that there seems to be a distinct relationship between mass and charge. This relationship becomes more clear and insightful when we look closely at mass and compare it to the effects of a charge in different types of magnetic fields. Mass, by definition is simply a measure of the force it takes to break inertia and accelerate an object. But what causes the effects of inertia? This force is often seen as separate from electromagnetism, but remember the Lorentz force laws show that it takes a force to move charged particles against a magnetic field. To those who have looked closely into magnetic field vectors on a spherical object, the results are amazingly similar to the inertial effects we see on objects in our Solar System. Although strikingly similar on the surface, mathematically proving this idea that inertia is actually caused by the resistance of magnetic fields on relatively “charged” objects has proven elusive (but that doesn’t mean it won’t be done one day). Before moving into the more complex differences between gravity and magnetism let’s take a moment to look at the similar effects of planetary orbits and the behavior of a charged particle moving normal to a magnetic field. In introductory physics we learn of the cyclotron and the effects of a charged particle when traveling normal to a uniform magnetic field. As shown in the illustrations below, the particle will be forced into a circular orbit when the velocity is inversely proportional to the charge. Doesn’t this look amazingly similar to planetary orbits? Isn’t this a better explanation for why planets tend to stabilize their orbits around the celestial equator and galactic bodies tend to do the same along the galactic equatorial plane? It likely also plays a role in why planets with weak or no magnetic fields often have very small or no moons.
Questions: -Electromagnetic properties only act on oppositely charged objects. Is there any way to test whether the sun and its planets are relatively opposingly charged? –
similarities between the circular or ‘cyclotronic” motion of a charged particle moving normal to a uniform magnetic field, and the stable orbit of a planet or satellite orbiting within the uniform magnetic field of its governing celestial body.
Some cosmological phenomena are sometimes still explained using entirely newtonian physics principles, despite their amazing similarities to electromagnetic principles. There are many physicists trying to break out of this old mechanical cosmological view and trying to see the universe as a dynamic electrical system. One profound aspect of this is the idea that Celestial bodies may be heated from within by induction caused by motion through the solar or galactic magnetic field, just as a conductor induces a current when it moves through an alternating field. If such were at all true there could be many implications on possible periodicities of volcanism and the speed of tectonic movement (orogenic events) seen in the geologic record. Perhaps as many ancient myths suggest, the movement of our Solar System in and out of high density “nodes” of the Galactic Field could possibly influence planetary heating, plate subduction and Solar output.
Our current difficulty in getting past the prevailing classical astronomical models is reminiscent of the 17th century scientific community led by Lord Kelvin who had trouble accepting the idea of radioactivity playing a role in the Sun’s and earth’s interior heating.
A changing magnetic field through a conducting ring induces a current. Accordingly, the sun’s & galaxy’s changing magnetic field induces a current in the earth, initially controlling its internal dynamo and its seemingly random switches in polarity.
Understanding how Jupiter’s moon Io proves the electrical effects of planetary bodies and may be the best model for many of the volcanic effects we see on earth through the late Mesozoic to mid Cenozoic on earth.
Putting it all together
Putting the principles we have been discussing together I propose a model in which, just as a wound conductor wire acquires an induced current when moved through an oscillating magnetic field, the Sun also is subtly influenced electrically by its motion through the galactic magnetic field. Changes in the Sun’s acceleration, like those caused by Jupiter’s binary perigee every 11 years, cause electrically induced surges manifest as solar max. The same process is repeated up and down the line between Suns, planets and other orbiting satellites which have cores appropriate for forming dynamic magnetic fields. Thus the earth’s core also has a current which is induced by its travel through the sun’s oscillating magnetic field. (However, hardened planets like earth contain largely “frozen” magnetic fields which are no longer able to flow easily with the changes of their “governing” stars.) Energetic changes in earth’s internal dynamo are also caused by accelerations caused by our own satellite (The earth and moon are also a binary system). This process forms a chain which transfers energy and other aspects of electrical resonance from the smallest of celestial bodies, to the galactic core itself. Of course, like most things in nature there are obviously myriads of exceptions and complexities which seem to break the rules of every model. A scientists job is not to lay on the wisdom as if they have “figured nature out”, but to propose theories and hypotheses which explain natural phenomena and invite others to test and challenge those theories in search of truth….
The Larmor Precession causes atoms to process just like the earth. I propose the same principles act upon the earth causing the precession of the equinoxes
Understanding the Relationship Between PHI & Solar Max
I need to explain here how the alignment of Jupiter, Saturn & Neptune are responsible for the 11.3 solar max and reversal of the suns electromagnetic field. It has to do with the bipole of the binary like action these planets create as they pull the sun in directions opposing the greater galactic field (a microcosm to what happens each 3300 years when it changes directions in its spiral orbit. The thing to understand here, is that astronomers who have explored the sun/Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune alignment are looking for a straight line when they should be looking for PHI. PHI is a straight line imposed on bent space time. And its related to the way that tension waves & gravity work on ‘circular motion’ or rotating bodies as seen in the below video!
Oversimplified principles of electromagnetic dynamics within the Solar System and Galaxy.
Questions: -If true would the motion of the sun through the galactic magnetic field, or the motion of the planets through the suns magnetic field create a drag? Wouldn’t this tend to slow them down over time? –
Atomic Orbital Shells Are Analogs to the Dimensions
Just as different atoms have different numbers of energy shells, so might different planets and suns have different numbers of densities. (string theory refs).
periodic table of the elements showing the electron shells of each element.
We like to think of electrons as ‘particles’ orbiting ‘around’ the nucleus, but in reality electron shells are more like an energy field which holds a discrete amount of energy. The number of shells and amount of energy those shells can hold is determined by the “core vibration” or mass of the nucleus. Likewise the varying dimensions of planets (such as earth’s heavens) or even the 7 energy bodies in hindu belief are often referred to as existing ‘around’ a person or planet, but in reality pinpointing these shells in space is not so straightforward. In the ‘Law of One’, Saturn’s 7th dimension is referred to as existing in the “rings’ of Saturn, just as Oahspe and most mainstream religions refer to earth’s heavens or resurrections as existing within the earth’s electromagnetic field. This is true in a manner of speaking because space/mass expands as it becomes more energized, but one needs to realize that these places are truly alternate dimensions invisible to human eye and manifesting only as light or energy when translating from one reference frame to another.
-put diagrams of gravity vs electromagnetic interactions. -lay out relationships between fundamental physical properties (mass, energy, etc) -lay out a framework for how core vibrations change, and how this change then dictates the fundamental laws.
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Things to Add to Article....
Summary
Most of the fundamental units of physics are relative to many cosmological factors which change over time. The earth’s volume, density, and most importantly the speed of light, … are relative to the solar system’s position in the galaxy. Assumptions claiming these do not changed are flawed…
We are just beginning to understand the electrical nature of the universe. The relationship between electromagnetism and gravity is in its infancy. Most physics textbooks point out these relationships as examples of what is yet to be discovered… when we find these relationships, we will understand why decay rates change over time.
Small description of the 8 dimensions from cosmology article. As earth moves between these, dates skew.
(give examples)
-the similarity between force and gravity equations (over distance squared).
-The circular orbital behavior of a charged particle in a mag field.
-The standing wave and orbit of the earth.
-diagram of how the earth would create a mag field if it is a charged particle in a large oscillating mag field of the sun.
-the lost energy we call binding energy, is pulled to the next dimension
-(main point) most importantly hit on the possible causes for creation of, and polarity switches in magnetic fields. because switches (which have collapses) or changes in mag field intensity, affect radiation on earth, which affects decay rates.
-gravity and electromagnetic attraction are obviously the same force, but the force is dampened or accentuated by the configuration of the atoms in the material. In materials which conduct electricity, the force gravitational force is greater… that’s why they are heavy. It has to do with how the atoms are arranged…
different theories for what changes the decay rates…
1.standing wave nodes
2.abrupt change in velocity
3.(main point) direct CME impacts and general changes in solar and interstellar radiation reaching the earth. Current physics is still a bit too caught up in particle physics, but we understand radiation enough to realize that interstellar radiation both creates and affects radioactive particles. Creation of C14 by highly charged solar particles is well understood. Creation of other radioactive isotopes like U245 and K37 from cosmic sources is less understood, but the principles are still there.
4 -PLATE TECTONICS. as you move further away from a gravitationally governing body, an object’s volume and density change. A bag of potato chips of a mountain or a balloon in the air will expand the higher they raise away from the earth. The planets experience the same effect in relation to the sun’s gravitational influences. As a you move away from the Sun, planets become more voluminous and less dense (depending on the rigidity of their materials). Scientist currently assume that the differences in planetary density were determined as they all simultaneously condensed with our sun (which may certainly be true) and that the earth has not changed its location in the solar system. My theory however suggests that it is changes in interstellar density, which is the main driver of plate tectonics. The liquid core expands & shrinks as we cross major galactic density boundaries, the rigid crust, less so. The same would be true of our sun (and its planets) as we move about in relation to both the galactic core and other galactic gravitational influences (they move slightly closer or further from the sun).
This process is quantized, not simply gradational. It could best be compared to the water cycle. Water does not transform from ice to liquid to steam in a linear fashion, it does so in quantized steps involving latent heat. With water, changes of state are determined by the energy density of the liquid or the density/pressure of the environment. If you slowly move most frozen substances into a region of lower pressure, they will liquify unless you take enough energy out of the system to bring equilibrium. As our Solar System moves through the galaxy, the same type of thing happens as we pass through nebula (and clouds of dark matter) of differing density. Scientist know that the orbit of earth & all the planets in our solar system (as well as the moon) are slowly expanding, but no one can agree on why. What is yet to be seen is the effect of this change on the laws of physics once the quantized threshold boundary is crossed…
5-UNIFIED FIELD THEORY. gravity and magnetism are not separate forces, but different intensities of the same force. as scores of people have suggested, there is only one force, and it is subatomically created by reinforcing or cancelling waves. (Essentially vibrations or vortices in the quantum field.) Waves which are essentially electric field lines caused by space-time vortices in the unified field. Whats important is the idea that attractive and repulsive forces of electromagnetism act on every object. It is well understood that it is the “alignment” of the atoms which dictates magnetism. What is not well understood is that it is those same atomic alignment characteristics which determine mass… which in turn determines what we call gravity. Magnetic materials are almost universally heavy (more massive). Why? Because the alignment or polarization of the atoms also makes them more attracted to the earth than other materials (in addition to being attracted to other magnetic materials). Iron, water or air do not have different masses because they have more or less atoms, it is because of the alignment or polarization of the atoms. Density is not so much a measure of the molarity (number of atoms) but the proportion of atoms aligned in certain configurations or ways. The reason solids can pass through liquids or gases is the same reason why dimensions don’t interact, its because of the configuration and/or base vibratory frequency of the atoms. At the most fundamental level, there is no such thing as a solid or “particle”. Things simply behave like particles because of their electrical properties
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-when the moon had a liquid core and stronger magnetic field, it likely caused the earth’s magnetic field to regularly flip in the same way Jupiter causes the sun to. Possibly certain galactic variables re-melt the core and polarize it from time to time. Or like dropping a magnetic can affect its magnetism, jolts to the earth may affects its magnetism as well.
#1 Unified field theory. I believe we one day will come to mathematically and conceptually understand how all fundamental forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, & weak force) are simply different distortions of the same unified force & field. I believe the key to finding these formulas is in understanding the multidimensionality of matter. (7 dimensions in our galaxy, just like there are 7 possible electron valence shells or energy levels in an atom.)
#2 Total relativity. All fundamental units of physics are relative and change as a body progresses through these dimensions. Mass, inertia, bonding energies/strong forces, gravitational forces, electromagnetic forces and time all are relative and change as a reference frame moves through the dimensions. Changes occur proportionally according to the mathematical relationships proven by mainstream physics. My ideas essentially mirror special relativity with exception that the speed of light is discretely different in each of the 7 dimensions.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION ——————————————————————————————————-
Changes In Fundamental Rules of Physics
I’ve come to realize our current understanding of the motion of our Solar System through the galaxy is fairly retarded. We really have only 200-600 years of good astronomical data to use as a basis for tracking our motion. That’s not very much and not nearly enough to really be able to say much about our galactic orbit. All of our astronomical calculations concerning the suns movements are blind projections of current movements. We know from current measurable motions of stars that our planet wobbles on its axis. We know it also has a slight binary orbit because of the moon. We know the sun does the same and has a true binary orbit with Jupiter (the center of which exists outside the circumference of the sun). We know our solar system is inclined relative to the galactic plane while moving toward it and we speculate it snakes its way up and down through that plane over time. Despite presumptuous and prideful speculation, we really don’t have enough data to speculate as to exactly how that orbit behaves over thousands of years. Vague Greek records (and possibly a few Chinese & Babylonian ones) are our only truly reliable way of extending astronomical conditions a bit longer into the past. The language barrier with Babylonian and Egyptian records makes them hopelessly suspect. What is causing the earth’s magnetic field strength (and other planets in our solar system) to decay more rapidly than linear predictions suggested? It must have to do with the galactic orbit.
How reliable is projecting current motions millions of years into the past or present? I suggest that although equally as suspect, using material supposedly channeled from other dimensions where longer astronomical records exist is really all we have to work with. From these, I speculate that as our solar system orbits the galactic core the earth moves through differing energy densities in the galactic wind. I suspect it is a combination between our location in the galaxy and the angle between our suns trajectory in relation to the prevailing galactic field that dictates the speed of light and atomic energy potential in our solar system.
Variables affecting our planet and their relationships.
earth’s axial tilt = season/surface heat, electromagnetic interaction, harvest productivity
earth’s speed = time of day, length of year,
earth’s distance from sun = seems to be somehow loosely related to density/mass/size of the planet.
Variables affecting our solar system and their relationships.
solar system’s axial tilt = heat/intensity of the sun, electromagnetic interaction, spiritual harvest productivity
solar system’s speed = time in some way?
solar distance from galactic core = doesn’t matter so much, what matters is our relationship to the interference patterns.
The speed of Light dictates the dimension
I put a lot of meditation into this.. I need to find a way to explain it. basically matter’s core vibration is what dictates a dimension and that is based on the speed of light. The speed of light is different for each dimension. Each reality or illusion is formed by being able to interact with (see and touch) matter. Both seeing and touching matter has to do with electromagnetic waves bouncing off things and repulsive interactions between atoms. “Atoms” are mostly empty space, but the “solidity” of energy patterns that we call atoms or matter is dictated by them both having an equal core vibration. So atoms or the matter in each dimension, vibrate at the same frequency which is the speed of light.
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I reference the Law of One because it is seems to verbalize many of the ideas that I have felt since delving into physics. As a second witness to my thoughts, it gives more validity to the hope that my ideas are not solely my own. It seems to me that there are a lot of people working on these concepts and that a scientific consensus will eventually be achieved which will iron out all the errors and inconsistencies in my own and other pioneering theories.
I believe that the correct model for multi-dimensionality in the universe must take into account the accumulating metaphysical evidence for life after death, and the existence of beings which dwell in dimensions not visible to our own. I believe along with many major religions and supposed material channeled from unseen realms that the earth is approaching a dimension boundary. And as we slowly cross this boundary, the changes we see in the fundamentals of physics will help our understanding of the physics of our galaxy to greatly enlarge.
#1 There is a dualistic dimension or metaphysical realm.
There is a metaphysical realm, dream state, spirit world, purgatory, time/space, mental environment or inner planes which is a duality or opposite in many ways to the physical world. (Separate from the resurrected realms, atmospherea/4rth density, etc. It is essentially the 8th density, next octave or dwelling place of God/ Higher Self. “The conditions are such that time becomes infinite and mass ceases”.) Time as we know it does not exist there. Where in our dimension space is large and curved compared to ourselves (the earth is spherical), there time is large and curved. Here, if you travel around our sphere/globe you will return to the space where you started; there if you travel around that sphere you will return to the time where you started. Here we move through space at will, but cannot control movement through time; there you can travel through time at will, but cannot control movement through space.
#2 There are 7 primary dimensions or densities in our galaxy which religion and metaphysics call the resurrected realms/heavens or glories and are a projection of the metaphysical realm. The reality or illusion of these realms is created by differing discrete values for the speed of light. The seven energy levels or valence shells of an atom are a fractal or microcosm of this greater reality.
Energy vibratory rates are quantized into discrete octaves of existence. In our octave, energy vibratory rates are quantized into 7 discrete steps of the continuum. Much like light being shown through a prism creating the 7 colors of the rainbow, energy originates in an octave above our own and is projected through the metaphysical realm to create the 7 densities or realms of existence. The speed of light is constant for our 3rd dimension or density, but is different in each of the other dimensions.
#3 The same principles Einstein’s relativity theories suggest apply to objects as they approach the speed of light also apply to a “stationary” object’s core vibratory rate. Generally when an object absorbs energy, it eventually burns up or disintegrates. On a molecular scale, the energy causes the atomic bonds to break down, the energy transforms into kinetic energy and the particles become excited releasing light (electromagnetic field energy) and gases which rise in the air to join other particles of like energy and density.
We suggest the strong force or bonding energy is created by a harmonic standing wave which emanates from the protons of the nucleus. This standing wave is the “core vibration” of the atom (see http://quantumwavetheory.wordpress.com/)
Questioner: Were these constructed in time/space or space/time?
Ra: I am Ra. We ask your persistent patience, for our answer must be complex.
A construct of thought was formed in time/space. This portion of time/space is that which approaches the speed of light. In time/space, at this approach, the conditions are such that time becomes infinite and mass ceases so that one which is able to skim the, boundary strength of this time/space is able to become placed where it will.
When we were where we wished to be we then clothed the construct of light with that which would appear as the crystal bell. This was formed through the boundary into space/time. Thus there were two constructs, the time/space or immaterial construct, and the space/time or materialized construct.
Ra: I am Ra. Although this query is difficult to answer adequately due to the limitations of your space/time sound vibration complexes, we shall respond to the best of our ability.
The hallmark of time/space is the inequity between time and space. In your space/time the spatial orientation of material causes a tangible framework for illusion. In time/space the inequity is upon the shoulders of that property known to you as time. This property renders entities and experiences intangible in a relative sense. In your framework each particle or core vibration moves at a velocity which approaches what you call the speed of light from the direction of superluminal [faster than the speed of light] velocities.
Thus the time/space or metaphysical experience is that which is very finely tuned and, although an analog of space/time, lacking in its tangible characteristics. In these metaphysical planes there is a great deal of what you call time which is used to review and re-review the biases and learn/teachings of a prior, as you would call it, space/time incarnation.
The extreme fluidity of these regions makes it possible for much to be penetrated which must needs be absorbed before the process of healing of an entity may be accomplished. Each entity is located in a somewhat immobile state much as you are located in space/time in a somewhat immobile state in time. In this immobile space the entity has been placed by the form-maker and higher self so that it may be in the proper configuration for learn/teaching that which it has received in the space/time incarnation.
Depending upon this time/space locus there will be certain helpers which assist in this healing process. The process involves seeing in full the experience, seeing it against the backdrop of the mind/body/spirit complex total experience, forgiving the self for all missteps as regards the missed guideposts during the incarnation and, finally, the careful assessment of the next necessities for learning. This is done entirely by the higher self until an entity has become conscious in space/time of the process and means of spiritual evolution at which time the entity will consciously take part in all decisions.
Understanding the solar dynamo http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/content/45/4/4.7.full
Electric Field on Earth http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1998/TreshaEdwards.shtml
Power Density of Solar Radiation http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1998/ManicaPiputbundit.shtml
Of Particular Significance http://profmattstrassler.com/articles-and-posts/particle-physics-basics/the-known-forces-of-nature/the-strength-of-the-known-forces/
https://utahgeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/1.45.10-Electric-universe.jpg14221978Lance Weaverhttps://utahgeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/utah-geology-site-logo-420px.pngLance Weaver2022-07-24 23:21:172025-04-29 13:43:15Is the Orbit of Jupiter related to Solar Cycles and How Gravity Waves & Electrical Properties Affect the Earth and Shape the Arms of the Milky Way Galaxy
