Windblown Monument
The stunning endlessly varied rock formations of Arches National Park are particularly beautiful at day’s end as this photo illustrates. Not only is the sky intensely colorful, the setting sun’s rays bath the rock formations with a warm glow. The park’s striking rock sculptures have been chiseled and polished by the constant winds and by rain, snow, and ice. According to geologists, this environment is shaped by water more than any other force. It dissolves and erodes the rock, moves sediment down washes and canyons, and freezes and expands, continually breaking off chunks of sandstone, creating an ever-changing landscape.