Mule Ears Peaks, Big Bend NP (M)
The origin of the name for these twin peaks requires no explanation. The peaks were formed by two sheets of molten material which forced their way up through fractures in the older rock. Such sheets are called “dikes”. Later erosion of the older surrounding limestone produced the formation you see here.
The foreground is underlaid with “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 vulcanism today is a hot spring located in the eastern part of the park, near the Rio Grande.