![]() ![]() Erosion would have left ravines and channels that formed the image of the head that is only visible from a high altitude. The structure was produced hundreds of years ago or more, possibly by a violent storm that triggered floods and winds that eroded the clay soil and sedimentary rocks. An oil well and road near the site give the impression that the Badlands Guardian is wearing headphones, which lessens the overall effect of this geological marvel. ![]() Erosion of clayey soil and sedimentary rocks has led to many similar geomorphological features across the world. The Badlands Guardian would be an example of the empty mask illusion, in which a concave image appears to be a convex image. Some people believe that the structure may have been intentionally created by humans, although more likely it is just the result of natural processes. It has the distinctive features of an Indigenous First Nations person and appears to be wearing the traditional feathered headdress that is synonymous with Aboriginal culture. The head is facing west and is very large, measuring around 255 meters wide by 225 meters high. It is a geographical feature that, when seen from above, resembles the face of an indigenous person in profile. This geological marvel, the Badlands Guardian, was only discovered in recent years and purely by chance. In these landscapes, it is difficult to find your way around and find your way around, and it is very easy to get lost in the winding ravines. The first Europeans to settle in the Canadian prairies gave these geographic areas the name of “Badlands”, as they were considered inhospitable and dangerous. Badlands are found in several areas of North America.The wild landscape has long held spiritual significance for the Siska people, and important archaeological sites exist in Alberta’s Badlands, having been the site of extensive dinosaur discoveries over the years. The constant erosion of the light sedimentary soil and clay means that there are many unique and strange geomorphic features and topographies which have intrigued people since the arrival of the First Nations. Winds and heavy rains carve channels in the rocks relatively quickly. The effect of wind and water on these landscapes means that they are constantly changing. They were formed during the end of the last Ice Age when glacial meltwater created valleys and steeps slopes out of the sedimentary rock and clay soil. The Badlands are desolate terrain of gullies, chasms, sinkholes, and hills. The location of the geological wonder is very remote, in an area that has been traditionally the home of the Siska First Nation People, often known as the Blackfoot tribes. The Badlands’ Guardian is near Medicine Hat in the south-east of Alberta and not far from the border with the USA. It is listed as the seventh of the top ten Google Earth finds by Time magazine. They altered the suggested 'Guardian of the Badlands' to become Badlands Guardian. ![]() Out of 50 names submitted, seven were suggested to the Cypress County Council. In 2006 suitable names were canvassed by CBC Radio One program As It Happens. It has sparse vegetation and soft, clay soil. It receives little but intense showers of rain. The area covered by the Badlands Guardian is an arid land. The precise location of the Badlands Guardian on Google Earth is at the coordinates (50° 0'38.20"N, 110° 06' 48.32"W). The Guardian is regarded as one of Google Earth’s most remarkable finds. The feature was discovered in 2005 by Lynn Hickox during the Google Earth project when they used satellite imagery and reproduced them in 3-D which led to the identification of the natural world. Its age is estimated to be in the hundreds of years at a minimum. Although the image appears to be a convex feature, it is actually concave – that is, a valley, which is formed by erosion on a stratum of clay, and is an instance of the Hollow-Face illusion. The 'head' may have been created during a short period of fast erosion immediately following intense rainfall. The arid badlands are typified by infrequent but intense rain-showers, sparse vegetation and soft sediments. The head is a drainage feature created through erosion of soft, clay-rich soil by the action of wind and water. ![]()
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