The Geology of Badlands National Park

Join us as we explore the wonderful rocks at Badlands National Park. These rocks show 75 million years of Earth history and the tectonic movements along the way. There are marine, near shore, and terrestrial deposits … and the fossils to prove it.

Host - Ali Sealander
Writer - RJ Stern
Writer/Editor/Videographer - Zach Clowdus
Selected Art by Clint Crowley

Music - Fractals of Light by Chris Haugen from www.epidemicsound.com

References
Benton, Rachel. White River Badlansd: Geology and Paleontology. Indiana University Press, 2015.

Graham, John. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2008, Badlands National Park Geologic Resource Evaluation Report.

Mattison, Ray H., and Robert A. Grom. History of the Badlands National Monument, and the White River (Big) Badlands of South Dakota. Badlands Natural History Association, 1968.

O'Harra, Ceophas C. The White River Badlands. South Dakota School of Mines, 1976.

Prothero, Donald R. Brining Fossils to Life: An Introduction to Paleontology. McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Stoffer, Philip W. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2003, Geology of Badlands National Park: A Preliminary Report.

Image Credits
Most NPS images found on the following websites
www.nps.gov/media/multimedia-search.htmsort=Date_Last_Modified%20desc
https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm

Hoodoo by John Pohl, GeoPhotography.org
https://www.geophotography.org/

Castle image by Highsmith, Carol M.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2010630584/

Map of Badlands around the world from:
Zgłobicki, W., Poesen, J., Joshi, V., Sóle-Benet, A., De Geeter, S. (2021). Gullies and Badlands as Geoheritage Sites.


Map of the U.S.
Uwe Dedering, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Makoshika State Park, MT
Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Theodore Roosevelt NP, ND
NPS/Mark Hoffman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Petrified Forest NP, AZ
Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blue Gate, UT
DanHobley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Toadstool Geologic Park, NE
Kahvc7 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dinosaur National Monument, CO
NPS Natural Resources, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hell’s Half Acre, WY
WYDOTman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Badlands (San Timoteo Badlands), CA
jazzmmzzaj, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Les Mauvaises Terres, Nebraska figure from
History of Badlands National Monument by Ray H. Mattison and Robert A. Gram

Lakota at Pine Ridge
National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic images and fossils from:
“The White River Badlands” by Cleophas C. O’Hara
“The Titanotheres of Ancient Wyoming, Dakota and Nebraska” Vol. 1 by Henry Fairfield Osborn (1962)

Titanothere lower jaw image
Lower jaw referred to as ‘Prout’s Palaeotherium Specimen’ collected by fur trader Alexander Culbertson from the White River Badlands in 1843.
USNM 21820. (Photo – Vincent Santucci).

Root Casts figures from “The White River Badlands: Geology and Paleontology” by Rachel C. Benton

Chadron formation
Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brule Formation Interpretation by Robert Hynes found in “The White River Badlands: Geology and Paleontology” by Rachel C. Benton

Big Pig Dig Site from NPS.gov
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/big-...

Archaeotherium fossil
Ryan Somma, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Archaeotherium Interpretation
Robert Bruce Horsfall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Subhyracodon occidentalis fossil
Osborn., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Subhyracodon Interpretation
Charles R. Knight, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mesohippus barbouri fossil
David Starner, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mesohippus Interpretation
Heinrich Harder (1858-1935), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Leptomeryx fossil
Ryan Somma, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Leptomeryx Interpretation
Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com), CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons

Brule and Chadron fossil resources
whiteriver.weebly.com
research.amnh.org

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