This document summarizes common geological formations found in the Southwest region of the United States, including mountains, canyons, slot canyons, plateaus, mesas, buttes, arches, goosenecks, natural bridges, hoodoos, and provides examples of each type of formation. It describes key characteristics of each formation such as how they are created through geological uplift, erosion, or volcanic activity and differences between related formations like mesas and buttes or arches and natural bridges. A variety of national parks in Arizona, Utah, and the Grand Canyon are mentioned that showcase these prominent Southwest landforms.

1. Geological formations
of the Southwest

2. Mountain
 A large natural
elevation of the
Earth’s surface
rising abruptly
from the
surrounding level
 Created by
geological uplift or
volcanic activity
Mt Humphreys
Arizona’s highest peak

3. Canyon
 A deep gorge or
ravine, typically with
a river flowing
through it
 Can be quite wide, or
very narrow
 Formed through
long-term erosion
Salt River Canyon
Near Globe, Arizona

4. Slot Canyon
 A slot canyon is a
Antelope Canyon
Arizona
narrow canyon
formed by the wear
of water rushing
through rock
 Significantly deeper
than it is wide
 More dangerous for
hikers and adventure
seekers because of
the possibility of flash
floods in rainy
weather

5. Plateau
 A large flat area
of land that is
higher than
other areas of
land that
surround it
 Often cut deep
by canyons

6. Mesa
 An isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides
found all through the southwest
 Takes its name from its characteristic tabletop shape

7. Butte
 Similar to a mesa
but narrower
 A butte
(pronounced
beaut) is an
isolated hill with
steep sides and
a small, relatively
flat top
Zion Park
Utah

10. Arch
 A natural arch is a
Arches Park
Utah
rock formation with
an opening
underneath
 Formed by leftover
salt deposits
making deep
vertical cracks in
the rocks
 Erosion wears
away sections
forming fins which
are narrow walls of
sandstone

12. Gooseneck
 Sometimes the path of the water meanders
and winds back upon itself creating a
gooseneck shape

13. Natural Bridge
 Similar to an arch, most are formed by stream
erosion wearing a path through the sandstone
of a gooseneck

14. Goosenecks and Natural Bridges

15. Hoodoo
Bryce Canyon
Utah
 Rock pillars and spires formed by erosion of tiny
streams along the rim of a plateau
 Water moved over the steep slopes and carved out
gullies, which widened over time leaving thin blades
of rock
 Continued erosion of the rock walls left behind
vertical columns, called hoodoos

16.  Starts out with a sandstone plateau
 A Fin forms which is a thin vertical rock
formation
 A window forms, similar to an arch but in the
side of a rock
 Erosion cause the hoodoo to form
 The hoodoo will continue to erode, and
eventually disappear altogether

17. Hoodoos
Bryce Canyon
Utah
Northern Arizona
Southern Utah

18. Natural Bridges

19. Arches

20. Mesas
Northern Arizona
&
Buttes
Grand Canyon
Arizona
Zion park
Utah