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Balanced Rock was once part of the canyon wall. When wind, water and chemicals act on the Wingate Sandstone walls of the canyons, the results are sometimes remarkable. Balanced Rock, a 600-ton (550 metric ton) boulder, has been left perched on a pedestal while most of the rock that once surrounded it has weathered away. Its sculptured form was determined by zones of weakness—vertical joints (cracks), horizontal bedding planes, and soft layers in the rock. Image taken July 3, 2011. Image is 28% size of original.
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last updated: December 21, 2011