Glen Canyon NRA Balanced Rock
Posted by: 
ggmorton
N 36° 50.494 W 111° 37.919
12S E 443651 N 4077483
A balanced rock on the south western side of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Waymark Code: WM29NK
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 09/28/2007
Views: 61
Thousands of years ago a huge boulder of conglomerate broke from the cliff above and rolled to a stop here. Since then, at least 6 feet (2.8 m) of this slope has eroded away.
Ultimately, the softer rock now protected by the umbrella of harder conglomerate will erode and the boulder will topple again to the ground. Eventually, weathering will also break down the boulder. Look for nearby piles of gravel that mark the sites of former balanced rocks.
Similar erosion is occurring along all the cliffs in this area. The softer rock is washing away, leaving overhangs of hard rock which will someday break off and roll down the slope. This process is known as "cliff retreat".
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