Geology of the Sedona Region
Sedona’s famous formations have been slowly created for over 350 million years of time. From oceans to deserts to volcanic eruptions, Sedona’s geological events have been quite active,all contributing to the fas- cinating vistas we see today.
To understand the geological history of the area,imagine the surface of the land to be a gigantic layer cake about 5,000 feet (above sea level) high and about 150,000 square miles in area called the “Colorado Plateau”. If we were to cut a slice of this cake, we would see about ten various layers of sedi- mentary rock signifying different geological events.
As you may notice in the diagram pictured here, the three formations, Schnebly Hill, Hermit and Supai— compose the distinc- tive, beautiful formations of Sedona. This is due to their unusual susceptibility to ero- sion.The Supai Formation was named after the Havasupai Indians and is the softer, pale-pink to reddish-brown sandstone. Sedona’s exceptional scarlet color comes from the red iron-oxide stains formed when flood plain deposits of iron minerals mixed with available oxygen at that time. Faulting helped the creek waters to break through the lava cap and carve the magnifi- cent canyons.The forces of nature that have contributed to Sedona’s colorful canyons and sandstone monoliths are many and today offer a powerful, panorama for all to behold!
