Just 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico lies a unique group of rock formations formed about 6-7 million years ago. These large, tent-shaped rocks are the result of explosive, volcanic eruptions and wind and water erosion. Today this area is known as the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.

Most of the layers seen here are composed of sand and gravel that were eroded from volcanoes a few miles to the north, and deposited here by flash-flood-prone streams.

The more white layers present in the canyon walls are layers of pumice and ash that were explosively ejected by volcanoes and then settled from the sky like snow.