Red Mountain Expressway Cut, Geological formation near Birmingham, Alabama
Red Mountain Expressway Cut is a road cut near Birmingham that displays layered rock formations spanning roughly 150 million years of geological time. The exposed wall contains iron ore deposits, limestone bands, and other mineral formations that reveal how the land changed over deep time.
The rock wall was created during the 1960s construction of the Red Mountain Expressway, which was designed to connect Birmingham with southern suburbs. This highway project unintentionally exposed geological layers that later proved valuable to scientists studying the region's deep history.
This National Natural Landmark serves as an educational center where students and researchers examine rock formations and study regional geological processes.
The site is accessible from U.S. Route 31 and U.S. 280, with a walkway that allows visitors to examine the rock formations up close. Weather conditions can affect visibility of the exposed layers, so a clear day provides the best view of the geological detail.
A previously unknown species of Lower Silurian trilobite was discovered here and named Acaste birminghamensis after the location. This fossil find reveals that the area was once an ancient seabed hundreds of millions of years ago.
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