Photo gallery: Geology of Sabino Canyon
- Updated
Images from the amazing geology in Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains. See story by Doug Kreutz in the April 17 edition of the Daily Star.
Large boulders, like these near Tram Stop 2 in Sabino Canyon, likely tumbled from higher in the canyon at some unknown time in the past during a rock fall or landslide. Sometime in the distant future, they will be worn down to pebbles and sand and washed out of the canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Enormous boulders in the bed of Sabino Creek near Tram Stop 5 in Sabino Canyon are part of the richly varied geology on view in the watercourse. Elsewhere, the stream has worn down boulders into rocks, pebbles and eventually into grains of sand resembling a beach.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Large boulders, like these near Tram Stop 2 in Sabino Canyon, likely tumbled from higher in the canyon at some unknown time in the past during a rock fall or landslide. Sometime in the distant future, they will be worn down to pebbles and sand and washed out of the canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Photo of Thimble Peak seen between tram stops 6 and 7 at Sabino Canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
A hiker navigates an expanse of gneiss rock near Tram Stop 8 in Sabino Canyon. It's a site where pockets and natural tanks in the rock sometimes hold water from rainfall or high stream flows.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
From left, Brynn Carr, Jon Carr, behind rocks left, Ellie Carr, sitting on rock and Cheryl Carr standing on rock, relax on rock formations near tram stop 8 at Sabino Canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
A large boulder sits on the side of a hill near tram stop 2 at Sabino Canyon. Rock debris tells a story, a tale of the canyon slowing becoming wider as time passes.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
This dramatic debris flow, a result of a powerful 2006 flood in Sabino Canyon, is near Tram Stop 9 at the end of the canyon road.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Brent Cutshall takes a photo of rock formations near tram stop 8 at Sabino Canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Enormous boulders in the bed of Sabino Creek near Tram Stop 5 in Sabino Canyon are part of the richly varied geology on view in the watercourse. Elsewhere, the stream has worn down boulders into rocks, pebbles and eventually into grains of sand resembling a beach.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
This crag, an eye-catching expanse of gneiss rock near Tram Stop 1 in Sabino Canyon, makes a nice perch for saguaros. Cracks in the cliff face are geologic features known as joints.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
A natural tank in the rock holds water on rock formations near tram stop 8 at Sabino Canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Water makes its way through rock formations near tram stop 8 at Sabino Canyon.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
Large boulders sit on the side of a hill near tram stop 2 at Sabino Canyon. Rock debris tells a story, a tale of the canyon slowing becoming wider as time passes.
- Dean Knuth/Arizona Daily Star
As featured on
What we know today as Sabino Canyon was the site of a whole lot of scrunching 25 million years ago.Β The resulting gneiss appears today as the comely striped rocks seen in canyon cliffs and some streambeds.Β Today we offer an introductory guide to the rocky sights.
Heavy rain also recorded in Catalina and Rincon mountains.
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