POTD February 07, 2017: Thor’s Hammer, Bryce Canyon National State Park

Thor’s Hammer, Bryce Canyon National State Park

Photographer: Grant Willis © 2017

Thor’s Hammer, named for the Norse God of Thunder who controlled the air and storms, is probably the best-known hoodoo in Bryce Canyon National Park, and is also the icon for the Utah Geological Survey logo. It formed as the result of differential weathering of sandstone and siltstone layers in the Claron Formation, with the softer layers weathering and eroding faster than the harder layers. The retreating escarpment that forms Bryce Canyon owes its existence to the Paunsaugunt fault, which elevated Powell Point in the distance, and which also “sank” the Sinking Ship in middle distance.