Colorado Plateau
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[[Image:Colorado Plateaus map.png|right|frame|]]
The '''Colorado Plateau''', also called the '''Colorado Plateaus Province''', is a [[United States physiographic region|physiographic region]] of the [[Intermontane Plateaus]], roughly centered on the [[Four Corners (United States)|Four Corners]] region of the [[southwestern United States]]. The province covers an area of 337,000 km² (130,000 mi.²) within western [[Colorado]], northwestern [[New Mexico]], southeastern [[Utah]], and northern [[Arizona]]. About 90% of the area is drained by the [[Colorado River (US)|Colorado River]] and its main tributaries; the [[Green River (Utah)|Green]], [[San Juan River (Utah)|San Juan]] and [[Little Colorado River|Little Colorado]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Leighty |first=Dr. Robert D. | authorlink = | coauthors = |title=Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province |work=Contract Report |publisher=Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD) Information Sciences Office |date=2001 |url=http://www.tec.army.mil/publications/ifsar/lafinal08_01/five/5.1.5_frame.htm |accessdate=2007-12-25 }}</ref>{{inote | ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 395, paragraph 1}}
[[Image:100 1834 edited-1.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Four Corners Monument where the states of [[Arizona]], [[Utah]], [[Colorado]], and [[New Mexico]] meet.(States listed in clockwise order.)]]
==Geography==
[[Image:four corners.jpg|thumb|300px|left|[[Four Corners]] region and Colorado Plateau]]
The province is bounded by the [[Rocky Mountains]], [[Uinta Mountains]], [[Wasatch Mountains]], [[Rio Grande Rift]], [[Mogollon Rim]] and the [[Basin and Range]]. Isolated ranges of the [[Southern Rocky Mountains]] such as the [[San Juan Mountains]] in [[Colorado]] and the [[La Sal Mountains]] in [[Utah]] intermix into the central and southern parts of the Colorado Plateau.
It is composed of seven sections:{{inote | ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 367, figure 8-1}}
*[[Uinta Basin]] Section
*High Plateaus Section
*[[Grand Canyon]] Section
*[[Canyon Lands]] Section
*[[Navajo section|Navajo Section]]
*[[Datil-Mogollon Section]]<ref name="NM-Env">{{cite web |last=Hawley |first=John W. | authorlink = | coauthors = |title=New Mexico’s Environment, Physiographic Provinces |publisher=|url=http://www.nmmastergardeners.org/Pdf%20FILES/NM's%20Environment.pdf |accessdate=2007-12-25 }}</ref>
*[[Acoma-Zuni Section]]<ref name="NM-Env" />
As the name implies, the High Plateaus Section is, on average, the highest section. North-south trending [[normal fault]]s that include the Hurricane, Sevier, Grand Wash, and Paunsaugunt separate the section's component plateaus.{{inote | ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 366, paragraph 1}} This fault pattern is caused by the tensional forces pulling apart the adjacent Basin and Range province to the west, making this section transitional.
Occupying the southeast corner of the Colorado Plateau is the Datil Section. Thick sequences of mid-[[Tertiary]] to late-[[Cenozoic]]-aged [[lava]] covers this section.
[[Image:Fourcorners 015.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Route 66]] in downtown [[Gallup, New Mexico]].]]
[[Image:Grand Junction Trip 92007 012.JPG|thumb|200px|The Book Cliffs of eastern [[Utah]].]]
[[Image:Grand Junction Trip 92007 135.JPG|thumb|200px|The [[Green River]] runs north to south from [[Wyoming]], briefly through [[Colorado]], and converges with the [[Colorado River]] in southeastern Utah.]]
Development of the province has in large part been influenced by structural features in its oldest rocks. Part of the [[Wasatch Line]] and its various faults form the western edge of the province. Faults that run parallel to the Wasatch Fault that lies along the [[Wasatch Range]] form the boundaries between the plateaus in the High Plateaus Section.{{inote|''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 376, paragraph 1}} The Uinta Basin, Uncompahgre Uplift, and the Paradox Basin were also created by movement along structural weaknesses in the region's oldest rock.
In Utah, the province includes several higher [[fault (geology)|fault-separated]] [[plateau]]s:
*[[Aawapa Plateau]]
*[[Aquarius Plateau]]
*[[Kaiparowits Plateau]]
*[[Markagunt Plateau]]
*[[Paunsaugunt Plateau]]
*[[Sevier Plateau]]
The mostly flat-lying [[sedimentary rock]] units that make up these plateaus are found in component plateaus that are between 1500 m (5000 ft.) to over 3350 m (11,000 ft.) above [[sea level]]. A supersequence of these rocks is exposed in the various cliffs and canyons (including the [[Grand Canyon]]) that make up the [[Grand Staircase]]. Increasingly younger east-west trending escarpments of the Grand Staircase extend north of the Grand Canyon and are named for their color:
*Chocolate Cliffs,
*Vermillion Cliffs,
*White Cliffs,
*Gray Cliffs, and the
*Pink Cliffs.{{inote | ''Geology of U.S. Parklands,'' page 369, paragraph 1}}
Within these rocks are abundant [[mineral]] resources that include [[uranium]], [[coal]], [[petroleum]], and [[natural gas]]. Study of the area's unusually clear geologic history (which is laid bare due to the arid and semiarid conditions) has greatly advanced that science.
A [[rain shadow]] from the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] far to the west and the many ranges of the Basin and Range means that the Colorado Plateau receives 15 to 40 cm (6 to 16 in.) of annual precipitation.{{inote|''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 369, paragraph 3}} Higher areas receive more precipitation and are covered in forests of pine, fir, and spruce.
==History==
[[Anasazi]] lived in the region from around 2000 to 700 years ago. {{inote|''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 374, "Trouble in Paradise", paragraph 1}}
[[United States Army|U.S. Army]] Major and geologist [[John Wesley Powell]] explored the area in 1869 and 1872 despite having lost one arm in the [[American Civil War]]. Using fragile boats and small groups of men the [[Powell Geographic Expedition]] charted this largely unknown region of the United States for the federal government.
Construction of the [[Hoover Dam]] in the 1930s and the [[Glen Canyon Dam]] in the 1960s changed the character of the Colorado River. Dramatically reduced sediment load changed its color from reddish brown (''Colorado'' is [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "colored" referring to its red color) to mostly clear. The apparent green color is from [[algae]] on the riverbed's rocks, not from any significant amount of suspended material. The lack of sediment has also starved [[sand bar]]s and [[beach]]es but an experimental 12 day long controlled flood from Glen Canyon Dam in [[1996]] showed substantial restoration. Similar floods are planned for every 5 to 10 years. {{inote | For the whole paragraph: ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 375}}
==Geology==
[[Image:Grandjunctionalpineloop 035.jpg|left|thumb|300px|The Colorado River near Grand Junction, Colorado.]]
One of the most geologically intriguing features of the Colorado Plateau is its remarkable stability. Relatively little rock deformation such as [[fault (geology)|fault]]ing and [[fold (geology)|fold]]ing has affected this high, thick crustal block within the last 600 million years or so. In contrast, provinces that have suffered severe deformation surround the plateau. Mountain building thrust up the [[Rocky Mountains]] to the north and east and tremendous, earth-stretching tension created the [[Basin and Range]] province to the west and south.
The [[Precambrian]] and [[Paleozoic]] history of the Colorado Plateaus is best revealed near its southern end where the [[Grand Canyon]] has exposed rocks with ages that span almost 2 billion years. The oldest rocks at river level are igneous and metamorphic and have been lumped together as "Vishnu Basement Rocks;" the oldest ages recorded by these rocks fall in the range 1950 to 1680 million years. An erosion surface on the "Vishnu Basement Rocks" is covered by sedimentary rocks and basalt flows, and these rocks formed in the interval from about 1250 to 750 million years ago: in turn, they were uplifted and split into a range of [[fault-block mountain]]s.{{inote|For the whole paragraph except where noted: ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 383, "Precambrian and Paleozoic", paragraph 2}} Erosion greatly reduced this mountain range prior to the encroachment of a seaway along the passive western edge of the continent in the early Paleozoic. At the canyon rim is the Kaibab Formation, limestone deposited in the late Paleozoic (Permian) about 270 million years ago.
[[Image:Zion 045.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The red cliffs of the Colorado Plateau tower above the northern Mojave Desert.]]
A 12,000 to 15,000 ft. 3700 to 4600 m) high extension of the [[Ancestral Rocky Mountains]] called the Uncompahgre Mountains were uplifted and the adjacent Paradox Basin subsided. Almost 4 mi. (6.4 km) of sediment from the mountains and [[evaporite]]s from the sea were deposited (see [[geology of the Canyonlands area]] for detail).{{inote|For the whole paragraph except where noted: ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 383, "Precambrian and Paleozoic", paragraph 2}}
Most of the [[formation (geology)|formations]] were deposited in warm shallow seas and near-shore environments (such as [[beach]]es and [[swamp]]s) as the seashore repeatedly advanced and retreated over the edge of a proto-North America (for detail, see [[geology of the Grand Canyon area]]). The province was probably on a [[continental margin]] throughout the late Precambrian and most of the [[Paleozoic]] era. Igneous rocks injected millions of years later form a marbled network through parts of the Colorado Plateau's darker metamorphic basement. By 600 million years ago North America had been leveled off to a remarkably smooth surface.
Throughout the Paleozoic Era, tropical seas periodically inundated the Colorado Plateau region. Thick layers of limestone, sandstone, siltstone, and shale were laid down in the shallow marine waters. During times when the seas retreated, stream deposits and dune sands were deposited or older layers were removed by erosion. Over 300 million years passed as layer upon layer of sediment accumulated.
[[Image:Dirty devil river.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Erosion-resistant sandstones of Mesozoic age result in bands of continuous cliffs, central Colorado Plateau]]
It was not until the upheavals that coincided with the formation of the supercontinent [[Pangea]] began about 250 million years ago that deposits of marine sediment waned and terrestrial deposits dominate. In late Paleozoic and much of the [[Mesozoic]] era the region was affected by a series of [[orogeny|orogenies]] ([[mountain]]-building events) that deformed western North America and caused a great deal of uplift. Eruptions from volcanic mountain ranges to the west buried vast regions beneath ashy debris. Short-lived rivers, lakes, and inland seas left sedimentary records of their passage. [[Stream]]s, [[pond]]s and [[lake]]s created formations such as the Chinle, Moenave, and Kayenta in the Mesozoic era. Later a vast [[desert]] formed the Navajo and Temple Cap formations and dry near-shore environment formed the Carmel (see [[geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area]] for details).
The area was again covered by a warm shallow sea when the [[Cretaceous Seaway]] opened in late Mesozoic time. The Dakota Sandstone and the Tropic Shale were deposited in the warm shallow waters of this advancing and retreating seaway. Several other formations were also created but were mostly [[erosion|eroded]] following two major periods of uplift.
The [[Laramide orogeny]] closed the seaway and uplifted a large belt of crust from [[Montana]] to [[Mexico]], with the Colorado Plateau region being the largest block. [[Thrust fault]]s in [[Colorado]] are thought to have formed from a slight clockwise movement of the region, which acted as a rigid crustal block. The Colorado Plateaus Province was uplifted largely as a single block, possibly due to its relative thickness. This relative thickness may be why compressional forces from the orogeny were mostly transmitted through the province instead of compacting it.{{inote|''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 376, paragraph 2}} Pre-existing weaknesses in Precambrian rocks were reactivated by the compression. It was along these ancient faults and other deeply-buried structures that much of the province's relatively small and gently-inclined flexures (such as [[anticline]]s, [[syncline]]s, and [[monocline]]s) formed.{{inote|''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 376, paragraph 2}} Some of the prominent isolated mountain ranges of the Plateau, such as [[Ute Mountain]] and the [[Carrizo Mountains]], both near the [[Four Corners]], are cored by igneous rocks that were intruded about 70 million years ago, during the [[Laramide orogeny]].
Minor uplift events continued through the start of the [[Cenozoic]] era and were accompanied by some [[basalt]]ic lava eruptions and mild deformation. The colorful Claron Formation that forms the delicate [[hoodoo (geology)|hoodoo]]s of Bryce Amphitheater and Cedar Breaks was then laid down as sediments in cool [[stream]]s and [[lakes]] (see [[geology of the Bryce Canyon area]] for details). The flat-lying Chuska Sandstone was deposited about 34 million years ago; the sandstone is predominantly of eolian origin and locally more than 500 meters thick. The Chuska Sandstone caps the [[Chuska mountains]], and it lies unconformably on Mesozoic rocks deformed during the [[Laramide orogeny]].
Younger igneous rocks form spectacular topographic features. The [[Henry Mountains]], [[La Sal Range]], and [[Abajo Mountains]], ranges that dominate many views in southeastern Utah, are formed about igneous rocks that were intruded in the interval from 20 to 31 million years: some igneous intrusions in these mountains form [[laccolith]]s, a form of intrusion recognized by [[Grove Karl Gilbert]] during his studies of the [[Henry Mountains]]. Ship Rock (also called [[Shiprock]]), in northwestern New Mexico, and Church Rock and [[El Capitan (Arizona)|Agathla]], near [[Monument Valley]], are erosional remnants of potassium-rich igneous rocks and associated breccias of the Navajo Volcanic Field, produced about 25 million years ago. The Hopi Buttes in northeastern Arizona are held up by resistant sheets of sodic volcanic rocks, extruded about 7 million years ago. More recent igneous rocks are concentrated nearer the margins of the Colorado Plateau. The [[San Francisco Peaks]] near [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], south of the [[Grand Canyon]], are volcanic landforms produced by igneous activity that began in that area about 6 million years ago and continued until 1064 C.E., when basalt erupted in [[Sunset Crater National Monument]]. [[Mount Taylor (New Mexico)|Mount Taylor]], near [[Grants, New Mexico]], is a volcanic structure with a history similar to that of the San Francisco Peaks: a basalt flow closer to Grants was extruded only about 3000 years ago (see [[El Malpais National Monument]]). These young igneous rocks may record processes in the earth's mantle that are eating away at deep margins of the relatively stable block of the Plateau.
Tectonic activity resumed in Mid Cenozoic time and started to unevenly uplift and slightly tilt the Colorado Plateaus region and the region to the west some 20 million years ago (as much as 3 kilometers of uplift occurred). Streams had their [[stream gradient|gradient]] increased and they responded by [[downcutting]] faster. [[Headward erosion]] and [[mass wasting]] helped to erode cliffs back into their fault-bounded plateaus, widening the basins in-between. Some plateaus have been so severely reduced in size this way that they become [[mesa]]s or even [[butte]]s. [[Monocline]]s form as a result of uplift bending the rock units. Eroded monoclines leave steeply tilted resistant rock called a hogback and the less steep version is a cuesta.
[[Image:The Three Patriarchs in Zion Canyon.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Cliffs of Navajo Sandstone in [[Zion National Park]]]]
Great tension developed in the crust, probably related to changing plate motions far to the west. As the crust stretched, the [[Basin and Range]] province broke up into a multitude of down-dropped valleys and elongate mountains. Major faults, such as the [[Hurricane Fault]], developed that separate the two regions. The dry climate was in large part a [[rainshadow effect]] resulting from the rise of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] further west. Yet for some reason not fully understood, the neighboring Colorado Plateau was able to preserve its structural integrity and remained a single tectonic block. Eventually, the great block of Colorado Plateau crust rose a kilometer higher than the Basin and Range. As the land rose, the streams responded by cutting ever deeper stream channels. The most well-known of these streams, the [[Colorado River (US)|Colorado River]], began to carve the [[Grand Canyon]] less than 6 million years ago in response to sagging caused by the opening of the [[Gulf of California]] to the southwest.
The [[Pleistocene]] epoch brought periodic [[ice age]]s and a cooler, wetter climate. This increased erosion at higher elevations with the introduction of [[alpine glacier]]s while mid-elevations were attacked by [[frost wedging]] and lower areas by more vigorous stream scouring. [[Pluvial]] lakes also formed during this time. Glaciers and pluvial lakes disappeared and the climate warmed and became drier with the start of [[Holocene]] epoch.
==Energy Generation==
[[Image:Grand Junction Trip 92007 098.JPG|thumb|Castle Gate Plant near [[Helper, Utah|Helper, UT]].]]
[[Image:HappyValley 016.JPG|thumb|Coal mine in [[Carbon County, Utah|Carbon County, UT]]]].
Electrical power generation is one of the major industries that takes place in the Colorado Plateau region. Most electrical generation comes from [[coal fired]] power plants. Coal fired power plants provide more than 50% of consumed electricity in the United States. Cleaner burning technologies continue to make coal fired power one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity.<ref>[http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/press/2006/06046-Coal-Fired_Power_Plants_Database.html Dept of Energy: ''Coal Fired Power Plants'']</ref>
==Natural Resources==
;Petroleum
The rocks of the Colorado Plateau are a source of oil and a major source of [[natural gas]]. Major petroleum deposits are present in the [[San Juan Basin]] of [[New Mexico]] and [[Colorado]], the [[Uinta Basin]] of [[Utah]], the [[Piceance Basin]] of [[Colorado]], and the [[Paradox Basin]] of [[Utah]], [[Colorado]], and [[Arizona]].
;Uranium
The Colorado Plateau holds major uranium deposits. (See ''[[Uranium mining in Utah]]'' and ''[[Uranium mining in the United States]]'').
;Coal
Major coal deposits are being mined in the Colorado Plateau in [[Utah]], [[Arizona]], and [[New Mexico]].
==Protected lands==
[[Image:Lake Powell Above Wahweap Marina.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Erosional features within [[Glen Canyon National Recreation Area]].]]
[[Image:100 1802 edited-1.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Cliff Palace at [[Mesa Verde National Park]],[[Colorado]].]]
[[Image:Northwest New Mexico.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Shiprock, [[New Mexico]].]]
[[Image:100 2832 0160 edited-1.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park]], [[Utah]].]]
This relatively high semi-arid province produces many distinctive erosional features such as arches, [[arroyo (creek)|arroyo]]s, [[canyon]]s, [[cliff]]s, fins, [[natural arch|natural bridge]]s, pinnacles, [[hoodoo (geology)|hoodoo]]s, and [[monolith]]s that, in various places and extents, have been protected. Also protected are areas of historic or cultural significance, such as the [[pueblo]]s of the [[Anasazi]] culture. There are nine [[U.S. National Park]]s, a National Historical Park, sixteen [[U.S. National Monument]]s and dozens of [[wilderness area]]s in the province along with millions of acres in [[U.S. National Forest]]s, many state parks, and other protected lands. In fact, this region has the highest concentration of parklands in [[North America]]. {{inote | ''Geology of U.S. Parklands'', page 365, paragraph 2}} [[Lake Powell]], in foreground, is not a natural lake but a reservoir impounded by [[Glen Canyon Dam]].
National parks (from south to north to south clockwise):
*[[Petrified Forest National Park]]
*[[Grand Canyon National Park]]
*[[Zion National Park]]
*[[Bryce Canyon National Park]]
*[[Capitol Reef National Park]]
*[[Canyonlands National Park]]
*[[Arches National Park]]
*[[Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park]]
*[[Mesa Verde National Park]]
*[[Chaco Culture National Historical Park]]
National Monuments (alphabetical):
*[[Aztec Ruins National Monument]]
*[[Canyon De Chelly National Monument]]
*[[Canyons of the Ancients National Monument]]
*[[Cedar Breaks National Monument]]
*[[Colorado National Monument]]
*[[Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument]]
*[[Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument]]
*[[El Malpais National Monument]]
*[[El Morro National Monument]]
*[[Hovenweep National Monument]]
*[[Navajo National Monument]]
*[[Natural Bridges National Monument]]
*[[Rainbow Bridge National Monument]]
*[[Sunset Crater National Monument]]
*[[Vermilion Cliffs National Monument]]
*[[Walnut Canyon National Monument]]
*[[Wupatki National Monument]]
Wilderness areas:
<table><tr><td valign=top>
*[[Kachina Peaks Wilderness]]
*[[Strawberry Crater Wilderness]]
*[[Kendrick Mountain Wilderness]]
*[[Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness]]
*[[Pauite Wilderness]]
*[[Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness]]
*[[Mount Logan Wilderness]]
*[[Mount Trumbull Wilderness]]
*[[Kanab Creek Wilderness]]
*[[Cottonwood Point Wilderness]]
*[[Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness]]
*[[Saddle Mountain Wilderness]]
*[[Mount Baldy Wilderness]]
*[[Escudilla Wilderness]]
*[[Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness]]
</td><td valign=top>
*[[Flat Tops Wilderness]]
*[[Uncompahgre Wilderness]]
*[[Mount Sneffels Wilderness]]
*[[Lizard Head Wilderness]]
*[[Weminuche Wilderness]]
*[[South San Juan Wilderness]]
*[[Cebolla Wilderness]]
*[[Ojito Wilderness]]
*[[West Malpais Wilderness]]
*[[Bisti-De-Na-Zin Wilderness]]
*[[Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness]]
*[[Ashdown Gorge Wilderness]]
*[[Box Death Hollow Wilderness]]
*[[Dark Canyon Wilderness]]
*[[High Uintas Wilderness]]
</td></tr></table>
Other notable protected areas include: [[Glen Canyon National Recreation Area]], [[Dead Horse Point State Park]], [[Goosenecks State Park]], the [[San Rafael Swell]], the [[Grand Gulch Primitive Area]], [[Kodachrome Basin State Park]], [[Goblin Valley State Park]] and [[Barringer Crater]].
==Further reading==
[[Image:Grandjunctionalpineloop 032.jpg|thumb|300px|Prickly Pear cactus are common throughout the Colorado Plateau region.]]
* Donald L. Baars, ''Red Rock Country: The Geologic History of the Colorado Plateau'', Doubleday (1972), hardcover, ISBN 0-385-01341-8
* Donald L. Baars, ''Traveler's Guide to the Geology of the Colorado Plateau'', University of Utah Press (2002), trade paperback, 250 pages, ISBN 0-87480-715-8
* W. Scott Baldridge, ''Geology of the American Southwest: A Journey Through Two Billion Years of Plate-Tectonic History'', Cambridge University Press (2004), 280 pages, ISBN 0-521-01666-5
*''Geology of National Parks: Fifth Edition'', Ann G. Harris, Esther Tuttle, Sherwood D., Tuttle (Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing; 1997), pages 2-3, 19-20, 25 ISBN 0-7872-5353-7
*''Physical Geology: Eight Edition'', Plummer, McGeary, Carlson, (McGraw-Hill: Boston; 1999), page 320 ISBN 0-697-37404-1
*''Earth System History'', Steven M. Stanley, (W.H. Freeman and Company; 1999), pages 511-513, 537 ISBN 0-7167-2882-6
*[http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/province/coloplat.html USGS - Geologic Provinces of the United States: Colorado Plateau Province] (some adapted public domain text)
* Annabelle Foos, ''Geology of the Colorado Plateau'', [http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/education/foos/plateau.pdf National Park Service PDF] Accessed 12/21/2005.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Grand Junction Trip 92007 052.JPG|Rabbit Valley, Colorado near Interstate 70.
Image:Grand Junction Trip 92007 013.JPG|View of the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains near Grand Junction, Colorado.
Image:Four Corners Plaque.jpg|Four Corners Plaque where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet.
Image:Red Rock Fin.jpg|Red rock "fin" on the [[Navajo Reservation]] in Arizona.
Image:Window Arch, Arches.jpg|"Window Arch" at [[Arches National Park]], Utah.
Image:100 1743.jpg|Red rock mesa in Arizona.
Image:Spring in Northwest New Mexico.jpg|Spring in northwestern New Mexico.
Image:San Rafael Swell01.jpg|San Rafael Swell in central Utah.
</gallery>
==See also==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
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{{Geography topics}}
{{Colorado}}
{{Utah}}
{{Arizona}}
{{New Mexico}}
[[Category:Colorado Plateau]]
[[Category:Deserts]]
[[Category:Physiographic provinces]]
[[Category:Deserts of North America]]
[[Category:Regions of Arizona]]
[[Category:Regions of Colorado]]
[[Category:Regions of New Mexico]]
[[Category:Regions of Utah]]
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