My trip to the Marin Headlands with Ryan brought me back to my final semesters at the University of Missouri and my introductory Geology course, aka “Rocks for Jocks.” A class that was about exciting at the time as a box of… rocks.
Walking around the Headlands, you cannot help but be drawn to the geological features of the landscape. Now I wish I had paid closer attention to those 7:00 A.M. Geology labs. Perhaps if I had, I might actually, fully understand what was going on here. Either way, it’s beautiful. Oh and we may or may not have found a few of these brittle rocks in our pockets before leaving the area…
I would sure love for my geology nerds to give me some insight here. I have some theories including sedimentary rocks + shifting plates = awesome twisted rocks. Wonder how long this transformation took.
Put your thoughts in the comments! More pretty rock pictures after the break.
Related articles
- Headlands Open: Mystical Photography by Frederic Larson (kennykellogg.com)
- At the end of the tunnel (photosbyleonie.wordpress.com)

That’s hard core.
That’s hard core.
I wish I knew. Layers upon layers of silt settling down on top of each other? I hope someone else paid better attention in geology than I did!
I wish I knew. Layers upon layers of silt settling down on top of each other? I hope someone else paid better attention in geology than I did!
Haha, I see what you did there!
Haha, I see what you did there!
Now does anyone have an educated guess as to what is going on with these rocks?
Now does anyone have an educated guess as to what is going on with these rocks?
@Iron_Fist Over on Facebook, mattnwells figured it about what I was guessing and what you were surmising. So great minds right? However it happened, it sure is cool looking! Just think how long that must have taken for entire landforms to rotate 90 or more degrees. Craziness!
@Iron_Fist Over on Facebook, mattnwells figured it about what I was guessing and what you were surmising. So great minds right? However it happened, it sure is cool looking! Just think how long that must have taken for entire landforms to rotate 90 or more degrees. Craziness!
I’d guess sedimentary rock standing on end.
I’d guess sedimentary rock standing on end.
That’s what I figured in the post. Would love some sort of animation of how these rocks ended up this way. It’s so weird how one hill looks one way on one side and totally different on the other side.
That’s what I figured in the post. Would love some sort of animation of how these rocks ended up this way. It’s so weird how one hill looks one way on one side and totally different on the other side.
Fault line? Similar situation in Bodega bay
Fault line? Similar situation in Bodega bay
It’s a wonder all of the installations built on these grounds held up, considering how weak and brittle the surface rocks are.
It’s a wonder all of the installations built on these grounds held up, considering how weak and brittle the surface rocks are.