Sculpted By Water
Joshua Wong
Award: Top 100
School: british international school of washington
Teacher: kat deakin
Category: Natural
Photo #21032
Sculpted By Water
This photograph was taken inside Antelope Canyon, capturing the results of millions of years of flash flooding and mechanical erosion. During the monsoon season, heavy rainstorms cause water to gather speed and rush into the narrow canyon basin. As the velocity of the water increases, it picks up abrasive sediment such as hard quartz sand. This flow of sediment-laden water causes layers of relatively soft Navajo Sandstone to wear down, carving jagged juts into the canyon. The narrow canyon forces the water through a restricted channel, causing the water to flow even more rapidly. This amplifies the erosive power of the water, sculpting the walls into smooth, almost parabolic, curves.
This resulting structure is responsible for both the canyon's famous light and its unique acoustics. Because of the microscopic granularity of the sandstone, cascading sunlight diffuses constantly between the canyon's walls. With each bounce, the rock absorbs shorter wavelengths resulting in its variety of reddish glows. Simultaneously, these water-carved curves influence sound waves. The walls carry the whistling sound of wind throughout the canyon, while absorbing the loud voices of other visitors, creating a sense of serenity.
When I was taking the picture, I found it interesting how the photos I took would turn out completely different from each other depending on the angle I pointed my camera as well as when I played with the exposure. Sometimes the photos would show a brilliant golden glow while other times it would be purple.
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