 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Armored Mud Balls and Mud Cracks in Southern Utah

   September 27, 2021

    EPOD.MudballsWirePass

   Photographer:  Tom McGuire

   Summary Author:  Tom McGuire;  Cadan Cummings

   The picture above features armored mud balls and soil cracking taken
   near the trailhead of the  Wire Pass in Kane County, Utah.
    Armored mud balls are spherical soil formations composed of a
   mixture of  silt, clay, sand, and gravel that form in stream beds or
   previously flooded areas. The diameter of mud balls usually ranges
   between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm), but it largely depends on the
    soil particles and gravel present. The size of the particles in a
   stream bed is directly related to the  speed of the water. This
   means that when stream water slows down, larger particles like gravel
   and sand are deposited first, while smaller soil particles such as silt
   and clay can stay suspended in the water until the water is mostly
   stagnant. Sediments can be mud where flood water becomes stagnant, or
   pebbles deposited in a moderate current. As mud dries, it hardens and
   forms  tessellated chunks caused by  shrinking during
   desiccation.

   Cracked pieces of soil may be dislodged by wind or water, while the mud
   is still wet below the surface. The pieces become round as they are
   pushed along the surface. Rolling balls of sticky mud can pick up
   pebbles that “armor” them. These armored mud balls were found below the
    Buckskin Wash trailhead on the Utah-Arizona border. Mud balls can
   also be geologically preserved given the correct environmental
   conditions. Such examples include  fossilized Triassic mud balls
   collected by Professor Richard Little, which are displayed in the
   Greenfield Community College Rock Park north of Amherst, Massachusetts.

   Photo Details: Olympus E-510: 42 mm, f/9, 1/250 second exposure,
   ISO-100
     * Kane County, Utah Coordinates: 37.019, -112.025

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Geology Links

     *  Earthquakes
     *  Geologic Time
     *  Geomagnetism
     *  General Dictionary of Geology
     *  Mineral and Locality Database
     *  Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
     *  This Dynamic Earth
     *  USGS
     *  USGS Ask a Geologist
     *  USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
     *  USGS Volcano Hazards Program

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