Colourful Curves and Swirls
Ahead of you is one of the most dramatic formations of the Ochre Pits, with
swirling near-vertical curves of colour 'painted' on the 10 m high cliff face.
Wind and rain have carved into the layers to reveal dramatic designs.The
colours
Yellow ochre, the dominant colour of these cliffs, is caused by a mixture of
white clay and iron oxide (rust).
The red-brown colours are formed by high levels of oxidised iron in very
fine-grain haematite or limonite.
White ochre has very little or no iron. The white colour comes from kaolin, a
white clay mineral.
Tiny fragments of mica and quartz give the ochre a shiny quality.
Source: Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission -
park signage |
