Photo © 2006, Garth Catterall-Heart Badlands in Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaBadlands are a type of arid terrain with clay-rich soil that has been extensively eroded by wind and water. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. Badlands usually have a spectacular color display that alternates from dark black/blue coal stria to bright clays to red scoria. The term "badlands" has dual origins: the Lakota called the topograpy "mako sica", literally "bad lands", and French trappers called it "les mauvaises terres ˆ traverser" - "the bad lands to cross". The naming is apt. Badlands form in areas of infrequent but intense rain-showers and sparse vegetation, a recipe for devastating erosion. The landscape contains steep slopes, loose soil, and clay, all of which inhibit easy travel. Some of the most famous fossil beds are found in badlands, where the forces of erosion have exposed the sedimentary layers and the lack of vegetation cover makes surveying relatively easy. Some of the best-known badland formations can be found in the United States and Canada. In the U.S., Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Badlands National Park in South Dakota have extensive badlands formations. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Photo ID = 050908_265b_1547 Keywords = Badlands, Roosevelt Nat Park, N. Dakota Crop = Wide; Custom prints at special prices. This photo may be available in other sizes. |
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