geology stereoimages

Geological and Archaeological Stereoimages

Stereoimages, also known as "magic eye" pictures, allow one to see objects in three dimensions. Stereoimages work by providing a separate image for each of your eyes, offset slightly just like your eyeballs are. You need to learn how to "unfocus" your eyes to get the two images to overlap. In this way your brain will interpret the overlapping images as if you were really seeing the object that was photographed, in 3D. This takes practice, and if you are not a geologist or psychologist you may not have seen this sort of thing before. If you can't do it, try moving further away from your computer screen. This will effectively allow you to unfocus less, but of course the image will be smaller because you are further away. However, once you lock onto the 3D image from far away, you may be able to move closer again and still retain the lock. Another option is to print out these images and obtain a pair of stereoviewing lenses from your local geology department to look at them.

The Whaleback The Whaleback is an anticline in the Bear Valley Strip mine, near Shamokin, PA. These photos were taken in September, 1998, facing west.

Head of the South Kaibab Trail The South Kaibab Trail begins at Yaqui point on the edge of the Grand Canyon and goes all the way to the bottom. These photos were taken in March, 1998, facing south as my friend and I were coming up out of the canyon. You can see the switchbacks of the trail in the stereoimage. The rocks are the Permian age Kaibab limestone.

Gros Ventre Landslide These are photographs of a landslide in the Gros Ventre Wilderness in Wyoming.

Geologic Contact This is the contact of the Tintic Formation (tan sandstone) and the Ophir Formation, on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT.

Folds in the Ophir Formation These are photographs of folds in the Cambrian Ophir Formation, on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT.

Roche Moutonee This is a roche moutonee, or "rock sheep", carved by a Pleistocene glacier into the Ophir Formation on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT. The white rock in the background is a felsite dike.

Red Hills Tuff This is an outcrop of the Tertiary Red Hills Tuff, in the Marysvale Volcanic District of Central Utah.

Old Man's Cave 1
Old Man's Cave 2 Photo 1 is the Blackhand Sandstone at Old Man's Cave State Park, Ohio. Photo 2 is the stream in the park flowing over the Blackhand Sandstone.

Serpent Mound The Serpent Mound is a major archaeological feature in southern Ohio.

Kame deposit This is a photo sedimentary structures (crossbedding) in a Pleistocene (Wisconsinan) unconsolidated kame deposit in Moraine, Ohio, taken September 28, 1999.

Glacial Grooves 1
Glacial Grooves 2
detail of Grooves 2 These are three photos of the Glacial Grooves on Kelly's Island, Ohio, which is an island in Lake Erie. The island has many outcrops of the highly fossiliferous Devonian Columbus Limestone, and these grooves were carved by a Pleistocene (Wisconsin) Ice Sheet into the limestone.

Natural Chimneys This is a photo of the "chimneys" of the Cambrian Elbrook Formation at Natural Chimneys Park, Augusta County, Virginia, taken February 6, 2001. The Elbrook Formation is intruded here by a Tertiary basalt sill near the base (at about the level of the person's head).

Folds in Chert This is a photo of folds in chert beds of the Franciscan Complex at the Marin Headlands, Marin County, California, taken in March of 2001.

Boulder Field
Garter Snake These were taken June 24, 2001, along the Bog & Boulder Trail, Gallitzin State Forest, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The rocks are the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation, fractured by frost wedging in the Pleistocene. The garter snake (Thamnophis sp.) was photographed in the boulder field.

cr5 This shows a rock I collected in Capitol Reef National Park near Panorama Point. It is a piece of the Moenkopi Formation that has been sculpted into an interesting shape by rain.

E.L. Smith Quarry This shows the Rock of Ages Corporation E.L. Smith Quarry in Barre, VT, taken on Sept. 26, 2003, during the 54th Highway Geology Symposium Field Trip.

The Whaleback	The Whaleback is an anticline in the Bear Valley Strip mine, near Shamokin, PA. These photos were taken in September, 1998, facing west.
Head of the South Kaibab Trail	The South Kaibab Trail begins at Yaqui point on the edge of the Grand Canyon and goes all the way to the bottom. These photos were taken in March, 1998, facing south as my friend and I were coming up out of the canyon. You can see the switchbacks of the trail in the stereoimage. The rocks are the Permian age Kaibab limestone.
Gros Ventre Landslide	These are photographs of a landslide in the Gros Ventre Wilderness in Wyoming.
Geologic Contact	This is the contact of the Tintic Formation (tan sandstone) and the Ophir Formation, on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT.
Folds in the Ophir Formation	These are photographs of folds in the Cambrian Ophir Formation, on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT.
Roche Moutonee	This is a roche moutonee, or "rock sheep", carved by a Pleistocene glacier into the Ophir Formation on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT. The white rock in the background is a felsite dike.
Red Hills Tuff	This is an outcrop of the Tertiary Red Hills Tuff, in the Marysvale Volcanic District of Central Utah.
Old Man's Cave 1 Old Man's Cave 2	Photo 1 is the Blackhand Sandstone at Old Man's Cave State Park, Ohio. Photo 2 is the stream in the park flowing over the Blackhand Sandstone.
Serpent Mound	The Serpent Mound is a major archaeological feature in southern Ohio.
Kame deposit	This is a photo sedimentary structures (crossbedding) in a Pleistocene (Wisconsinan) unconsolidated kame deposit in Moraine, Ohio, taken September 28, 1999.
Glacial Grooves 1 Glacial Grooves 2 detail of Grooves 2	These are three photos of the Glacial Grooves on Kelly's Island, Ohio, which is an island in Lake Erie. The island has many outcrops of the highly fossiliferous Devonian Columbus Limestone, and these grooves were carved by a Pleistocene (Wisconsin) Ice Sheet into the limestone.
Natural Chimneys	This is a photo of the "chimneys" of the Cambrian Elbrook Formation at Natural Chimneys Park, Augusta County, Virginia, taken February 6, 2001. The Elbrook Formation is intruded here by a Tertiary basalt sill near the base (at about the level of the person's head).
Folds in Chert	This is a photo of folds in chert beds of the Franciscan Complex at the Marin Headlands, Marin County, California, taken in March of 2001.
Boulder Field Garter Snake	These were taken June 24, 2001, along the Bog & Boulder Trail, Gallitzin State Forest, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The rocks are the Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation, fractured by frost wedging in the Pleistocene. The garter snake (Thamnophis sp.) was photographed in the boulder field.
cr5	This shows a rock I collected in Capitol Reef National Park near Panorama Point. It is a piece of the Moenkopi Formation that has been sculpted into an interesting shape by rain.
E.L. Smith Quarry	This shows the Rock of Ages Corporation E.L. Smith Quarry in Barre, VT, taken on Sept. 26, 2003, during the 54th Highway Geology Symposium Field Trip.