Arizona, USA – July 2017

The “Painted Desert” lies at about 1,800 meters above sea level on the Colorado Plateau and stretches in an arc over about 250 kilometers. It consists of a variety of colored sediment layers, which are exposed by erosion. As if drawn by a ruler, the color stripes run through the various rock formations.

Painted Desert

“The Tepees” remind in their form of the tents of the prairie Indians. They show very clearly the different layers of rock.

Tepee

The “Blue Mesa” consists of rounded hills which are predominantly blue-gray and white.

Blue Mesa

The “Petrified Forest” is an extensive area with sites of silicified wood. In some areas the landscape is covered with broken tree trunks. As this wood was very popular for jewelry and was exploited, some sites were placed under protection in 1906. In the meantime, this protected area has become a national park whose area has been extended several times.

Petrified Forest