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Old 25th Mar 2015, 16:40
  #694 (permalink)  
betterfromabove
 
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Blackened mountainside

As a geologist who's done fieldwork in this area, agree with JamesT73 that these look like classic organic-rich (i.e. intensely black) shales to me and hence is their naturally colour. The more resistant, thin, lighter coloured rocks (seemingly uncharred) are white-yellow sandstone layers. Both formed in a deep ocean, but now find themselves thrust several thousand metres into mountains. When thick, these sandstone layers will make up the base of the hill and the higher summits behind.

The damage of this impact is truly phenomenal.
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