The strange stripes in our homepage image reveal tiers of fossil beds in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Beneath the multicolored surface lies the land"s history, including the remains of ancient horses, camels, tigers, and rhinos. The barren landscape, dotted with pinnacles and prairies, was formed by two geological processes: deposition, where the layered rocks were gradually stacked up on top of each other by inland seas, winds, and rivers over millions of years, and erosion, which began about 500,000 years ago. The Red Shirt Table, at 3,340 feet, is the highest point in the park, which was established on this day in 1978. It protects 379 square miles of rocky buttes, pinnacles, and prairies. This inhospitable terrain was called "Mako Sica," or "land bad" by the Oglala Lakota people, who have lived here for hundreds of years. Still thirsty for knowledge? Visit the national park"s museum collection. There are over 360,000 objects that have a lot more to reveal!
Badlands National Parks 45th anniversary
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
-
World Rivers Day
-
The borrowed days are here
-
International Polar Bear Day
-
Best fronds forever
-
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
-
Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
-
Celebrating a Paris landmark
-
Flock together for Cousins Day
-
Super sandy Sweet 16
-
Western Monarch Day
-
El Valle de la Luna, Chile
-
Flag Day
-
Take me to the river
-
We have liftoff!
-
Reflections of the night sky
-
Storseisundet Bridge, Norway
-
Waitangi Day in New Zealand
-
Illuminating Annecy
-
Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
-
Big dreams require a big sleigh
-
Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
-
International Tea Day
-
World Environment Day
-
Green is the new black
-
Happy Valentines Day!
-
Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
-
Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
-
A day for the oceans
-
A garden of prickly delights