Elly Shofia
Zhangye Danxia Mountain is located in Gansu Province, China. This mountain is row of colorful mountains and hills.
This mountain has different colors, ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, brown, blue, and white. This color is naturally formed.
These colorful mountain ranges make the scenery on this mountain beautiful. However, this mountain is very barren, so it is rare to find plants and animals here.
The geological structure of Zhangye Danxia is formed from limestone that has been deposited for millions of years.
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Contents
Zhangye Danxia Mountain has colorful surfaces
There are many causes for Zhangye Danxia Mountain has colorful surfaces. One reason is oxidation.
Metals in rocks in this region are exposed to oxygen, resulting in chemical reactions that cause color changes.
Oxidation of iron can cause rocks to turn red, while manganese can cause rocks to turn purple. In addition, another cause is the erosion that occurs in this region.
Over millions of years, erosional processes by water, wind, and weather affected the rock, forming interesting formations and structures. In addition, erosion also reveals layers of color hidden beneath the surface.
Another cause is the sedimentation process. Sedimentation occurs when there is deposition due to erosion.
Material deposition can be caused by ice or glaciers, wind, or water in a basin.
Millions of years ago, this mountainous region was a shallow sea or lake. After that, mineral particles, rocks, and marine organisms were deposited on the lake bottom over a very long period of time.
The diversity of minerals in the region also causes color variations in Zhangye Danxia Mountain.
Each mineral has different physical and chemical properties, which means that they also have different colors. Therefore, the surface of this mountain has different colors.
Created from a Volcanic Eruption
Millions of years ago, the Zhangye Danxia Mountain was the surface of the open ocean floor. Then there was a volcanic eruption that gave rise to this mountain.
Volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor occurred many times, millions of years ago. Then the eruption gave rise to chunks of mountain and emitted substances such as calcium, iron, copper, chlorite, and sulfides.
In addition, the tectonic activity that occurred in this region also gave rise to this mountain. Pressure forces and plate movements create folds and faults in the existing rock.
As a result, the rock is folded and pressed repeatedly, creating beautiful and unique shapes. After that, a row of colorful mountains was created.
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Zhangye Danxia Becomes a World Heritage Site
The mountain ranges and colorful hills in the mountains are beautiful. In addition, behind the mountain, there are also several hidden caves.
The beauty that exists in the mountains of Zhangye Danxia makes this mountain very famous. Therefore, this mountain was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
To maintain the beauty of this mountain, this area became a national park.
Zhangye Danxia Mountain became the Zhangye Danxia National Park in 2012. The national park covers about 322 square kilometers.
Local people build stairs and bridges in many parts of this mountain. To make it easier to explore the beauty of this mountain.