Arikaree Breaks - Cheyenne County, KS
N 39° 58.774 W 101° 47.118
14S E 262160 N 4429205
The Arikaree Breaks are a rugged landscape of canyons that have formed in a type of windblown silt called loess. #628
Waymark Code: WMRR1H
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 07/27/2016
Views: 20
In general, this loess was deposited by the wind during the past few million years. Loess is often rich in clay minerals, which allows these deposits to hold together and form a steep face. Thus, as water erodes away loess deposits, they often form steep-sided canyons, an environment that is especially noticeable here.
The Arikaree Breaks are covered by short-grass prairie, particularly buffalo grass, and, in places, yucca plants and prickly pear cactus. This is a relatively arid area; average annual precipitation is less than 20 inches per year. Its elevation, more than 3,000 feet above sea level, along with its location on the northern edge of the state, combine to make this one of the colder parts of the state. The deep ravines and gullies are a marked contrast to the plains generally associated with the area
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