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C. I'm going to see. One of our most visited national parks averages more than a half million people in the

summer every month who flock to see the massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky.

Its main feature, a glorious canyon, carved partially by an unassuming yet powerful river. the and one of its creators, the Virgin River. The Zion National Park is located along the edge of a region known as the Colorado Plateau.

The rock layers have been uplifted, tilted, and eroded, forming a feature called the Grand Staircase.

It's a series of colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.

The bottom layer of rock at Bryce Canyon is the top layer at

Zion and the bottom layer at Zion is the top layer at the Grand Canyon.

Zion was a relatively flat basin near sea level. Canyon. from surrounding mountains. Streams carried these materials into the basin and

deposited them in layers. The sheer weight of these accumulated layers caused the

basin to sink so that the top surface always remained near sea level.

As the land rose and fell as the climate change, the environment fluctuated from shallow

seas to coastal plains to a desert of massive wind-blown sand.

This process of sedimentation continued until over 10,000 feet of material accumulated.

Then mineral- mineralated waters slowly filtered through the

compact sediments. Iron oxide, calcium carbonate, and silica acted as cementing agents and with pressure from above over long periods of

time they transformed the deposits into stone. Ancient seabeds became limestone.

Mud and clay became mudstones and shale,

and desert sand became sandstone.

Each layer originated from a distinct source and so differs in thickness, mineral content, color, and eroded appearance.

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