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 The Rocks Tell a Story Posted by:  Volcanoguy
N 40° 43.671 W 116° 01.187
11T E 582776 N 4509008
History of the formation of Carlin Canyon
Waymark Code: WMTJG9
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 11/29/2016
Views: 3
Historical sign located near the west end of the BLM’s Carlin Canyon Historical Wayside east of Carlin, Nevada.
Marker Title (required): The Rocks Tell a Story
Marker Text (required):
Welcome to Carlin Canyon. The rocks around you reveal some of the earth’s history. What story do the exposed sedimentary layers in front of you tell?
Long, long ago, before dinosaurs roamed the land, there was an ocean where you’re now standing. Stones and boulders from the nearby mountains washed into the ocean in long horizontal bands. Eventually these rocks were cemented together to form the yellowish-black pebbly rocks at the bottom of the hill.
But the bands aren’t horizontal anymore. How did that happen? Faulting is the answer. Faulting, and associated earthquakes, shook this area and tipped the massive block containing these bands. One end of this block moved up and the other down, tilting the bands and, over time, forming a new mountain range.
Over millions of years wind and water eroded the upper end of the block. Sea levels rose, covering the eroded surface with a warm, shallow ocean. In this ocean, sediments were deposited gradually, forming the gray limestone layers now visible at the top of the hill.
The layering of limestone over the older eroded block records a gap in this portion of the earth’s history. This gap is called an unconformity. Because the yellowish-black rocks meet the gray limestone at an angle, geologists call this an angular unconformity.
The ocean has been gone for millions of years now; the land has continued to change. More faulting tilted the gray limestone layers and further tipped the pebbly bands. This faulting and continued erosion created the rounded hills and river canyon you see today.
Follow the paved road through the canyon for a closer look at the unconformity and at the next pullout discover who traveled this route before you.
County (required): Elko
Marker Type (required): Other (describe below)
Other Marker Type (optional): Fiberglass sign panel in shelter
Is Marker Damaged? (required): Yes, other damage
Other Damage Type (optional): Minor scars causing missing letters
URL - Website (optional): [Web Link]
Marker Number (If official State Marker from NV SHPO website above, otherwise leave blank): Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
- The marker must be visited in order to log a Waymark
- Pictures are optional, however, if adding a picture try to include one of a different perspective (e.g. different
angle/season/lighting etc.)
- Add any personal experience or research information that would enhance the history of the marker.
- Thanks!
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