Comb Ridge ( nv, ) is a linear north to south-trending

monocline A monocline (or, rarely, a monoform) is a step-like fold in rock strata consisting of a zone of steeper dip within an otherwise horizontal or gently-dipping sequence. Formation Monoclines may be formed in several different ways (see diagram) * ...

nearly 80 miles long in Southeastern

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

and Northeastern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

. Its northern end merges with the Abajo Mountains some eleven miles west of Blanding. It extends essentially due south for to the San Juan River. South of the San Juan the ridge turns to the southwest and is more subdued in expression as it extends for an additional to Laguna Creek east of Kayenta, Arizona.''Geosights, Comb Ridge, San Juan County, Utah,'' May 2012, pp. 9–11
USGS 30x60 quadrangle topographic maps: Blanding, Utah-Colorado; Bluff, Utah-Colorado; Rock Point, Arizona-New Mexico; Kayenta, Arizona It was designated a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in 1976 as the only North American location of tritylodont fossils. Parts of the ridge in Utah are protected as part of the

Bears Ears National Monument Bears Ears National Monument is a United States national monument located in San Juan County in southeastern Utah, established by President Barack Obama by presidential proclamation on December 28, 2016. The monument protects of public land s ...

.Obama Designates Two New National Monuments, Protecting 1.65 Million Acres
Davenport, Coral. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 28 December 2016

Geology

The geologic formations involved in the east dipping strata of the fold include the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

aged

Navajo Sandstone The Navajo Sandstone is a geological formation in the Glen Canyon Group that is spread across the U.S. states of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, and Utah as part of the Colorado Plateau province of the United States.Anonym ...

, Kayenta Formation, Wingate Sandstone,

Chinle Formation The Chinle Formation is an Upper Triassic continental geological formation of fluvial, lacustrine, and palustrine to eolian deposits spread across the U.S. states of Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. In ...

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

Moenkopi Formation The Moenkopi Formation is a geological formation that is spread across the U.S. states of New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, southeastern California, eastern Utah and western Colorado. This unit is considered to be a group in Arizona. Par ...

and

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Pale ...

Organ Rock Formation. The structure is the surface expression of a deep fault along the east margin of the Monument Uplift.

History

Traces of the Ancestral Puebloan culture can be found along the southern part of the ridge where it follows Chinle Wash. The Macomb and Hayden expeditions in 1869 and 1874–1876, respectively, were the first to publish maps and descriptions of this feature. The ridge and adjacent Butler Wash were given their current names in 1884, by P. Holmann. Numerous cliff dwellings are found along the ridge. File:Monarch cave ruin.jpg, Monarch Cave Ruin cliff dwelling on Comb Ridge File:Monarch cave ruin close.jpg, Monarch Cave Ruin cliff dwelling on Comb Ridge File:House on Fire Ruin.jpg, House on Fire Ruin near Comb Ridge File:Eternal Procession.jpg, Procession Panel

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

WolfmanPanelUtah-AttributeAs-PhilKonstantin

References

External links

Comb Ridge

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government within the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of ...

{{authority control Cliff dwellings National Natural Landmarks in Arizona Landforms of Apache County, Arizona Landforms of Navajo County, Arizona Landforms of San Juan County, Utah Rock formations of Arizona Rock formations of Utah Bears Ears National Monument

Geology

History

See also

References

External links