Promontory of Fire

A rocky promontory rises above the Arizona woodland on the west ridge of Lee Mountain. The junipers follow the slopes, surviving on an abundance of sunshine and what little moisture they get from wintertime storms and monsoonal rains. This is the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. So, WHY are the rocks red? The red color in Lee Mountain's sandstone is due simply to rust. A very thin layer of oxidized iron coats each grain of quartz sand in the sandstone formations around Sedona. Just a very small amount of iron oxide can produce vivid colors in soils and rocks. Although RED is the most common color, not all iron oxides are red. Some are brown, yellow, black or even green - like some person's eyes! January 9, 2009