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Otter Rock is a stack with a wave cut platform top, a remnant of headlands that have been eroded back toward the east after the oceans rose at the end of the ice age. |
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This photo of Otter Rock is from Oregon Highways OnlineThis rock is one of the first sightings made by Captain James Cook in his voyage of 1778. |
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The Devil's Punch Bowl was formed out of sandstone by wave action. The hydraulic force of an oncoming wave of water works like a wedge in any rock joint, fracture, or fault. Less resistant areas in a formation are more quickly eroded. A weakness in the sandstone bed has been opened through and behind a resistant wall of stone, temporarily creating this chamber and arch. See it while you can! |
| Toward the north we can see how wave action has cut platforms at three levels. The highest is 500 feet above sea level, indicating a significant lifting of the regional topography. The headlands show classic erosion. We will see another view of the stacks that rise above the tide in the foreground at our next, and last, stop. |
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Created by STANLEY R. SANDERS, 1999
e-mail: sanders@transport.com
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