Loner
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
2014
The proper name for this isolated rock is a glacial erratic. Deposited by glacial ice, erratics differ in size and type compared to the native rocks in the area. This particular rock is about six feet tall, small by comparison to some of the examples shown on Wikipedia
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Loner
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
2014
Interesting factoid. Never thought too deeply about lone erratic boulders before. My impression was that they all probably got pushed along until they were overtopped or the great thaw came. Afterward their smaller cousins were covered by windblown or waterborne loess. But with the raft concept and the blowouts that occurred with Lake Bonneville or Missoula I could see how some of these “big boys” could have been transported great distances with few of others of their ilk ending up in an area. Thanks for the post as we prepare for the polar vortex, puts things in perspective.
Steve, I’ve seen various geological formations caused by the Lake Bonneville blowout–damn impressive. Glad I wasn’t there when it happened. Wish I wasn’t going to be here for the lesser event of the Polar Vortex. We’re supposed to hit zero on Tuesday night.
I like the textures here & the comparison to the lone tree. I’m sure it’s a photographic illusion that the rock is larger than the tree…but I like the sense of scale it gives.
Thanks Kathy, and you’re right about the size relationship of the rock and the tree. That was an illusion courtesy of standing close to the rock and shooting with a wide angle lens. At first I was going to hide the tree behind the rock but in the viewfinder the issue of scale really made the composition for me.