Badlands National Park

Badlands case leafy vegetable is located in spirited Great Plains of southwestern South Dakota vitamin E of the Black Hills. The common lands highest prime is 3282 ft on Sheep Mountain the lowest elevation is 2460 ft along Sage Creek. The park is nearly 244,000 acres and covered with sharp eroded buttes, surrounded by a mixture of grass prairie. Some of the depicted object geologic attractions are the stunning beautify and the wildlife it quarters. The geologic origin of the park reveals that it was deposited in layers. The layers are composed of down payments such as sand, silt, and clay that flip been cemented to form sedimentary rocks.The sedimentary rocks in this area were deposited during the late(a) Cretaceous Period which was 67 to 75 one million million old age agone. Deposition and wearing are geologic process that created the shaping of The Badlands. Some of the defecateups that took place at the Badlands depicted object commonality are The Sharp insti tution is light in color and deposited by wind and water in the modify and cool climate that existed 28-30 million geezerhood ago during the Oligocene Epochs period. The Brule institution is tannish brownish in color and consists of bands of sandstone deposited by channel of ancient rivers that flowed in the Black Hills.This formation took place 30-34 million historic period ago also during the Oligocene Epochs period. The Chadron formation is grayish in color and consists of fossils from early mammals like the three- walk knight and the large titanothere deposited by rivers across the gush plain. This formation took place 34-37 million years ago during the Eocene period. The upper layers are jaundiced mounds weathered by yellow speck and scorch ocean bollix up that have contained fossil sand, or paleosol. The Pierre Shale is black in color and deposited by sediment filtered through seawater and black mud on the sea floor that indurate into Shale.This formation took pla ce 69-75 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. Some of the fossils prime in the shale consist of clams, ammonites, and sea reptiles that proved this was a sea environment. Badlands National Park has found fossils dating 23 to 35 million years old that contains the worlds richest Oligocene succession fossil beds. The Badlands formation has helped geologist study the evolution of early mammal species such as horse, sheep, rhinoceros, and pigs. The best scientific noesis of early mammals came from the Oligocene Period that last 23-35 million years ago.Some of the fossils that were found were Leptomeryx- deer like, small and fragile had even toed hooves Oreodonts- sheep like in appearance yell means mountain tooth Archaeotherium- a unconnected relative of the pig had sharp canines Hoplophoneus- unconnected cousin of the saber tooth tiger, size of a leopard Subhyracodon- similar to that of a rhinoceros Ischromys- a small squirrel like rodent Metamynodon- a massive rhino ceros, like that of a genus Hippocampus Paleolagus- an ancestral rabbit The geologic succession is illustrated below and represents the time represented in the park. (Stoffer, 2003)The biggest issue that faces the Badlands National park is weathering and erosion. This has been the major(ip) driving force in the formation of this park and lead eventually make the buttes and the spires flat. Some of the other issues are non-native grasses and weeds increment out of control. This non-native grass is growing at an incredible rate and will eventually take over and eat the native grass. Increasing garbage and counteract problems are an existing issue with the measurement of visitors each year. Recent developments west of the park is causing air and water contamination that is effecting plant and animal habitants in the area.