Badlands National Park

Badlands theme car park is located in lavishly Great Plains of southwestern South Dakota vitamin E of the Black Hills. The parks highest bringing up is 3282 ft on Sheep Mountain the lowest elevation is 2460 ft along Sage Creek. The park is nearly 244,000 acres and covered with acutely eroded buttes, surrounded by a mixture of grass prairie. Some of the study geologic attractions are the stunning embellish and the wildlife it quarters. The geologic origin of the park reveals that it was deposited in layers. The layers are composed of sediments much(prenominal) as sand, silt, and clay that feature been cemented to form aqueous rocks.The sedimentary rocks in this area were deposited during the recently Cretaceous Period which was 67 to 75 one thousand thousand years past. Deposition and eating away are geologic process that created the defining of The Badlands. Some of the governing bodys that took place at the Badlands field ballpark are The Sharp institution is l ight in color and deposited by wind and water in the juiceless and cool climate that existed 28-30 million years ago during the Oligocene Epochs period. The Brule governance is tannish brownness in color and consists of bands of sandstone deposited by carry of ancient rivers that flowed in the Black Hills.This formation took place 30-34 million years ago also during the Oligocene Epochs period. The Chadron formation is grayish in color and consists of fossils from early mammals like the three- walk dollar bill and the large titanothere deposited by rivers across the ingurgitate plain. This formation took place 34-37 million years ago during the Eocene period. The upper layers are discolor mounds weathered by yellow modify and dark-skinned ocean bungle that have contained fossil sand, or paleosol. The Pierre Shale is black in color and deposited by sediment filtered through seawater and black mud on the sea floor that placed into Shale.This formation took place 69-75 milli on years ago during the Cretaceous Period. Some of the fossils run aground in the shale consist of clams, ammonites, and sea reptiles that proved this was a sea environment. Badlands National Park has found fossils dating 23 to 35 million years old that contains the worlds richest Oligocene sequence fossil beds. The Badlands formation has helped geologist ruminate the evolution of early mammal species such as horse, sheep, rhinoceros, and pigs. The best scientific experience of early mammals came from the Oligocene Period that last 23-35 million years ago.Some of the fossils that were found were Leptomeryx- deer like, small and fragile had even toed hooves Oreodonts- sheep like in appearance name means mountain tooth Archaeotherium- a foreign relative of the pig had sharp canines Hoplophoneus- deep cousin of the saber tooth tiger, size of a leopard Subhyracodon- similar to that of a rhinoceros Ischromys- a small squirrel like rodent Metamynodon- a massive rhinoceros, like t hat of a genus Hippocampus Paleolagus- an ancestral rabbit The geologic prison term is illustrated below and represents the time represented in the park. (Stoffer, 2003)The biggest issue that faces the Badlands National park is weathering and erosion. This has been the major driving force in the formation of this park and volition eventually figure out the buttes and the spires flat. Some of the other issues are non-native grasses and widows weeds evolution out of control. This non-native grass is growing at an incredible rate and will eventually take over and wipe out the native grass. Increasing garbage and moulder problems are an existing issue with the fare of visitors each year. Recent developments west of the park is causing air and water taint that is effecting plant and animal habitants in the area.