Monument Valley
Monument Valley is located on the sourthern border of Utah with northern Arizona. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation near the town of Goulding.
Geology
The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The floor is largely Cutler Red siltstone or its sand deposited by the meandering rivers which carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-grey rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.
The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principle layers. The lowest layer is Organ Rock shale, the middle de Chelly sandstone and the top layer is Moenkopi shale capped by Shinarump siltstone.
Between 1948 and 1967 the southern extent of the Monument Upwarp was mined for uranium ore which occurs in scattered areas of the Shinarump siltstone.
Iconic Imagery
The twin buttes of the valley have developed iconic status. They have appeared as a backdrop in many Hollywood movies, especially westerns. But it was John Ford's 1938 film Stagecoach starring John Wayne that has had the most enduring influence in making the valley famous.
The implied association with John Wayne's tough macho character made the buttes a natural choice as the background for Marlboro Man in the marketing of Marlboro brand cigarettes from the 1950s.
External Links
- American Southwest Guide
- Detailed geological guide
- Energy Information Administration notes on uranium mining and its decommisioning