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Exposed here are three distinct layers - clues to ancient landscapes.   #1 Moab member of Curtis Formation (youngest layer).   Deposited as dunes on a beach, this light-colored sandstone has almost completely eroded away here.   Look for it at Delicate Arch and high in the Fiery Furnace.   #2 Slickrock member of Entrada Formation (middle layer).   This fine-grained, cliff-forming sandstone dominates the park.   Once a vast desert, slickrock is the major arch-forming layer of the park.   #3 Dewey Bridge member of Carmel Formation (oldest layer).   This muddy-looking, reddish brown layer is the lumpy and contorted remains of a tidal flat environment.   Softer than the layers above, it erodes faster - an important factor in arch formation.

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