By Robert Norman
Living in Arizona Boulders -- Where did they come from?
When most people think of building a secluded home, they thinkof tall trees and large bushes. But what about boulders?
Granite Park, located in Prescott, Arizona, which is in thenorth central part of the state, is one such place filled with1.4 billion-year-old towering granite rock formations.
Rock formations of this type are rare in the United States.Northern Arizona to southern California are the most commonlocations for these statuesque boulders.
Formed in the Precambrian age, 1.4 billion years ago, theserocks started life under the earth's surface as large masses ofmolten rock, according to Dr. Archie M. Dickey, professor ofenvironmental science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.The rocks then cool before reaching the surface.
"This procedure is referred to as an intrusive igneous rockformation," said Dr. Dickey. "The molten rocks cool slowly andin the process form large, course-grained rocks."
After the granite was exposed at the surface, it was then at themercy of the elements. Wind, rain, snow all started eroding therocks. However, in the case of these particular formations, theyproduced their unique shapes and vistas because the granitefirst weathered in blocky, rectangular joints. You can actuallysee this throughout Granite Park – the blocky reddish-brownlinear lines on the boulders.
Dr. Dickey explains that as the weathering continued, thegranite turned into its now round distinctive shape. This typeof weathering is called spheroidal weathering.
Residents of the new Granite Park community will be not just beable to enjoy living in privacy with these massive, statuesqueboulders, but be able to stroll down trails featuring thesetwo-hundred-foot high rock cliffs and four-foot-wide passages.
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