MASSIVE Boulders Rest on Tiny Pedestals at Marble Canyon, Arizona: Learn the Geology of this Area 

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What's fascinating to me is the idea that the same boulder could be a balanced Rock multiple times since breaking away from the cliff! But I'm sure there's no way to find out how many times

I love the way you teach.. interesting and instructive.. even a 66 year oldie can still learn .. thank you Shawn you make learning fun and applicable to everyone

A secondary process is the densification of the Moenkopi mudstone under the boulder. Under much more compression than the surrounding area, its mechanical properties make it less porous, and less erodable than the area adjacent to it. Have fun on your trip!

Fascinating. It occurs to me the each of those boulders may have gone through many cycles where the pedestal below erodes away, a new pedestal is formed and erodes away and so on over millions of years.

Thanks for getting up early. Fascinating.

I love knowing about what we see. Such interesting descriptions! Fun, Shawn. Thank you!

Damn Willsey, I know you’ve noted it but you do get around. Your kids are quite lucky to have such a father. Good on ya Oh, I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate what you share, here. Keep up the good work.

"So let's have a look at this balanced rock and hope that today isn't the day it decides to roll over and squish us like a bug."

Thanks Shawn

Very informative and interesting. Right to the point, excellent examples of how these formations occur. That’s such a fascinating area. Over here in Georgia everything is covered in clay and vegetation. It’s cool to see rocks without having to dig to get to them.

We have some lovely balanced boulders here in Yorkshire UK best typified at a place called Brimham Rocks. These are at the top of the side of a glacial valley. There's some incredible formations up there. They really do ..... rock ....! Great for encouraging an interest in geology too. My kids used to love scrambling around up there and we'd contemplate how they formed while taking in the panoramic view.

Awesome! I first visited this place in May 1998. Great that I finally got a detailed explanation of how this was formed! Thanks a lot Shawn!

Thanks Shawn, makes sense. Appreciate the diagrams.

Love that whole area.

Another good one. Thanks!

Thanks!

thanks for your great explanations, Professor!

I have individual photos of all these, and I looked at them last night, and now I am presented with this today. How fortuitous!

Dr. Willsey, I well remember seeing those pedestal rocks on a drive north on 89 me and a friend of mine made up to Lee's Ferry some 25 years ago. Our intent was to do a little fly fishing on the river. In the event, we got a lot of exercise and some spectacular photographs, but no fish! Beautiful country up there.

Thank you. Very interrsting. Stay safe. Have fun.

I’m camped near Flagstaff and heading that way soon. I’m going to make sure I stop and check these out. 👍🏼

Awesome video! Thank you Shawn!

Fascinating! Thank you!

Tack!

Awesome, thx!

Grt geo-adventure. Thx Sir Willsey ✌🏻. Amazing

Nice place , interesting video. Thanks Shawn.

Thanks! Another interesting one 😊

8:55 -- An explanation I read long ago pointed out that more than just shielded edge erosion is going on in such balanced rocks. The additional trick is that for porous pedestal rocks, the pressure of the boulder reduces local pore size and thus increases the ability of the pedestal to resist erosion. The boulder begins leaning when erosion eats into one side of the pedestal. However, this also increases pressure on that side of the pedestal and relaxes it on the opposite side, slowing erosion on the endangered side and speeding it up on the opposite side. Further erosion then returns the boulder to a more balanced state. With enough time, this feedback mechanism causes the pedestal to wear down towards the center of boulder gravity. It can produce balanced rocks at rates that would be statistically impossible using edge erosion alone.

Very cool , we have some in Oregon too.

The wife and I drove through there in the spring of 2022. We were wondering how those rocks got that way. I'll have to show her this video.

감사합니다.

I have driven by those rooks and never stopped. That won't happen again, now I will drive there just to see them. O, and hope to see a Condor at Lees Ferry thank you stay safe ALL

Very interesting. Like to see you dissect the Marian rover videos.

Recent subscriber here. Thank you for doing what you do. I'm really enjoying the videos. I was in the Marble Canyon area a few months ago and stopped for lunch near the balanced rocks. I was fortunate to get a few pics of the California Condors flying near the bridge, too. Have you visited the Gold Butte National Monument area in southern Nevada? I have been there twice in the past year. The area known as Little Finland fascinates me. I'd really like to know more about it but can't find much info online. Thanks again for taking the time to share your knowledge.

Been there. Amazing place to visit. Thanks for the education.

I saw a study once that explained how these boulders erode their necks in a way that keeps the rock perfectly balanced. Apparently where the pressure of the boulder is greatest on the neck part the rock grains are compressed more, resulting in slower erosion where the support is needed most.

I've always found these formations interesting. I already knew how they form, but it's still a cool geological phenomenon. I was surprised that the mesa cap wasn't overhanging. I expected to see it undercut by erosion, which would have explained why the rocks break off, but it looks like the cap is actually further back than the softer rock beneath, at least at the part towards the end of the video.

Looks like Wile E. Coyote could step out from behind a rock at any moment. Thank you, Professor.

Have a wonderful trip. I think I know you well enough now to be sure you will stay as safe as possible out in nature. Thanks for showing these interesting erosional features and explaining them.

Yeah, lets touch the sandstone base of a many ton rock balanced on top. I'd hope that 100th year estimate wasn't off by 101 years in the negative.😉 Always a great lesson learned in these videos👏👍

👍🏼

Valeu!

1:38 - That looks like Mars, big time. I can't even get my mind around the time and pressures needed to create all of this. I wish I could see it happening. Makes you feel very insignificant lol.

There's another group of boulders and balanced rocks a bit west of the Lee's Ferry group at Cliff Dwellers Lodge. It's about 11 miles from the Lee's Ferry Balanced Rock along 89A.

❤

It looks like a landscape for giants, perhaps on Mars.

I am a Grand Canyon guide and will be launching next week. I can’t wait to see the videos you make on your trip. What’s your best guess as to how the canyon was carved?

Hi Shawn, your videos are awesome. I am applying for grad school in geology (my undergrad in geology, but a focus on mineralogy). I was wondering if you could talk about the dragon's teeth/crocodile rock near Colonnade Arch not far from Green River, Utah. I came across this rock a couple years ago and have asked around including to BLM Utah and the Utah Geology instagram for more info on how this rock formed. Though everyone says it's interesting and acknowledge my question, no one has explained it yet. Is it just like tiny hoodoos or can you talk about it a little in a future video? Thank you for your time and consideration.

So from a non-geologic perspective (lol, I've been there a couple of times), I think he's in the Lee's Ferry Unit of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, several miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam. It's the first place below the dam that has access to the river, which is why a lot of the raft trips start here. It's on the other side of Antelope Pass from the main part of the Glen Canyon NRA and Lake Powell. Interestingly, I was looking at some USGS quads, and the land here is part of the Glen Canyon NRA, but the *river* is part of (and protected by) Grand Canyon NP. Grand Canyon technically starts at the Paria River, just bit upstream from the launch. It's called Lees Ferry, because it was home (for a while) to John D. Lee, the guy who was eventually scapegoated as the perpetrator of (and executed for) the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He ran a ferry here (one of the only crossings of the Colorado for dozens of miles in either direction), which actually operated until the late1920's when the first Navajo Bridge was constructed over Mable Canyon. The entire area of (very) Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are worth a visit.... 😁

Hey Shawn, awesome video. At 10:43 is that long thin thin a piece of wood? to the right of your hand about 1 foot away. a few inches long and thin? what is it?

Great video! It's a bit difficult to appreciate the length of time and level of erosion involved in creating these, as well as other geological features.

It looks like there’s some bouldering potential there. Am I the only one looking for chalk on them? 😂

Pocket Money!

10:41 possible petrified wood clast rt center

Having spent a fair amount of time driving through this region.. am I ignorant in assuming that Grand Staircase-like geologic formations continues from Utah through Arizona into New Mexico? The geology seems very similar as I have driven though northern New Mexico

My base is also eroding away as holding the bolder is becoming harder. Dang what'd you do to me

The first big rock looks like a bird's head and one side (left) has an eye and on the right, the eye has fallen out🤣🤣🤣🤣. I wonder how much strength is added with the gypsum veins?

As a hiker/backpacker I wish I had studied geology and botany so I would know what I'm walking past. Do not push over those boulders, you could end up in jail!

I have two pictures, before and after of standing rocks at cliff Dwellers. I would like to send you. Taken 4 months apart Do you have an email or contact info I can send it to?

wow, so much misinformation here. everyone knows the big boulders were placed on top of the small rocks by the coyote setting a trap for the roadrunner..... 😆 (you know someone had to say it) i really do enjoy your clips. i have learned a little more about the world we live in and what happened to cause x-y-z to look the way they do today.

If thunderstorms cause the erosion why no vegetation?

I feel like there should be a coyote and a mischievous bird running around.

Don't test the stability of the system by manually eroding the mudstone. 😂

God's work of art. The beauty He's blessed us with I just continue to marvel at these formations -- scenes like this, Grand Canyon, Wasatch Front, Sierra Escarpment, Tahoe, northern Cascades, Columbia Gorge, just blows me away.

Those are a public safety hazard and should be knocked down for the good of the children. Think of the children.

I just found your channel and had to subscribe 🏜️! if you haven’t already will you showcase hoodoos? Thanks for sharing your gift of knowledge !!

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