Initial Publication Date: March 19, 2020

360^o Imagery of Geological Features

Compiled by Carol Ormand, SERC, Carleton College

The following Google Streetview / 360^o images* are examples of geological features that instructors might use for lectures or assignments, such as this teaching activity on Weathering and Sedimentary Processes. Clicking on a thumbnail image takes you directly to a Google 360^o image of that location.

This collection is not intended in any way to be a comprehensive collection. Use these links to jump to images of

Sedimentary rocks: sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone
Weathering: physical and chemical weathering; differential weathering
Rivers
Glacial landscapes
Structures: folds and faults

* Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google LLC, used with permission.

Sedimentary Rocks

Cross-bedded sandstone, Zion National Park

Cross-bedded sandstone, Zion National Park

Weathering

Physical weathering

Ice wedging in action, Parfrey's Glen, WI

Weathered rocks in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park. The fractures in these rocks expand via frost wedging.

Root pry, Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

Root pry in action, Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

Chemical weathering

Oxidation, Apikuni Falls, Glacier National Park

Weathered limestone, Mt. Bogart, Canadian Rockies. Zoom in on the bedding surface near the photographer's shadow.

Differential weathering

Rock units that are less resistant to weathering erode beneath more resistant layers in Parfrey's Glen, WI

Rock units that are resistant to weathering form cap stones for the monuments in Monument Valley

Rock units that resist weathering in Canyonlands National Park form steep or vertical walls

Rivers

The Matanuska River, in Alaska, is a classic example of a braided river

Point bar on Pacific Creek, a tributary of the Snake River, near Moran, Wyoming

Gooseneck in the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

Check out the point bars in the image below to see which state is (locally) growing and which is (locally) shrinking. Collapse the side panel for the best view.