Mule Ears Peaks, Big Bend NP (C)
The origin of the name for these twin peaks requires no explanation. The peaks were formed by a sheet of molten material that was forced up through a cleavage in the older rock. Such a sheet is called a “dike”. Later erosion of the older rock produced the formation you see here.
The foreground is underlaid with whitish “tuff”, a compacted volcanic ash. It is quite common in the Big Bend area, attesting to the violent volcanic history of the region. The only remnant of volcanism today is a hot spring located in the eastern part of the park, near the Rio Grande.