Buried Tower - Devils Tower, WY
N 44° 35.376 W 104° 43.074
13T E 522391 N 4937400
A National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior interpretive sign stands along the Tower Trail, noting the ongoing formation of Devils Tower through the erosion of sedimentary rock. See the tower before it changes!
Waymark Code: WM13DAN
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 11/13/2020
Views: 2
The sign's text reads:
Ancient rivers took millions of years to excavate Devils Tower. The waters carried away softer sedimentary rocks leaving behind the harder igneous rock called phonolite. This rock type is found here in northeastern Wyoming, and central Montana, but mostly in east Africa.
The Tower is still emerging. The Belle Fourche River (below) continues to wash away the softer sedimentary rocks. Plateaus across the valley -- some higher than the Tower's summit -- are eroded layers of the same sediment that once surrounded and covered Devils Tower.
The Tower today stands 867 feet (264 meters) high, from the visitor center to the summit. Approximately one and one-half vertical miles of rock and sediment have washed away since the Tower formed.
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An inset photo shows sedimentary layers of rock along a modern river channel, while opposite the text on the right is a large photo of the three layers of sedimentary rock observed on a cliff nearby.
Marker Name: Buried Tower
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information:
Re Mi Do Do So
Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Wyoming history please include that in your log.