English: Sandstones in the Permian of Arizona, USA.

The walls of this Arizona canyon consist of Permian-aged De Chelly Sandstone (pronounced "De Shay"). Most of the unit is horizontally-bedded and cross-bedded quartzose sandstones representing ancient sand sheets and desert sand dunes. A vast sand dune "sea" was present at the time - such an environment is called an "erg" (a modern example is northern Africa's Sahara Desert). The reddish-brown coloration is from hematite (iron oxide, Fe2O3). Dark-colored desert varnish partially covers many cliff faces. The canyon floor is moderately lush with greenery and has some agricultural plots.

Stratigraphy: De Chelly Sandstone, Leonardian Stage, Lower Permian

Locality: view from Mummy Cave overlook, "Canyon del Muerto" (= Canyon of the Dead), Canyon de Chelly National Monument, northeastern Arizona, USA