Book 16, Question 11
Why Do Desert Rocks End Up in Strange Wind-Carved Shapes?
Wind carries sand that acts like natural sandpaper, and it slowly carves rocks into strange shapes! Softer layers wear away faster than harder ones. Over thousands of years, that leaves grooves, pedestals, and fins.
More fun facts
- In New Mexico's high desert, wind and erosion carved sandstone into strange towers called hoodoos.
- Some look like mushrooms, giant chess pieces or even fried eggs.
- These hoodoos range from a few feet tall to two stories high.
- The area was once lush wetlands, and it is rich with fossils from dinosaurs and other ancient animals.
- On Mars, wind blowing from one direction for a very long time carved large features into rock.
Sources: National Geographic, NASA
Questions kids ask
What is a hoodoo?
A hoodoo is a strange rock tower carved by wind and erosion. Some look like mushrooms, chess pieces or even fried eggs.