Haystack Rock
March 24, 2004
Provided and copyright by: Steve Kluge, Fox Lane High School
Summary authors & editors: Steve Kluge
Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon stands 72 m (235 ft.) above the broad, flat beach fronting the Pacific Ocean. The "monolithic" sea stack is a last holdout against the erosive powers of the surf and is composed of highly deformed yet resistant basalt belonging to the Columbia River Basalt Flows. The rock is home to several species of sea birds, and the rocks in the tidal pools around the stack are covered with colorful starfish, anemones, and mussels, all protected by the area's status as a "Marine Garden." This photo was taken just before sunrise in late September, 2003, and the Belt of Venus (pinkish rim just above the horizon) is clearly visible in the background. See the links below for an image of Haystack Rock taken later that morning, and note the people on the beach for scale.
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