Riddle of America, The - Waldorf Research Institute

It was also during the Permian period that a vein of unique red sandstonecrystals, called “rose rocks,” were formed near the existing seashorein central Oklahoma. These barium sulfate crystals, deposited in the Garbersandstone, can be found in a few other places, such as California, Kansas,and Egypt, but nowhere so abundantly as in Oklahoma, and only here arethey red, so far as is known.By the end of the Paleozoic age, significant mineral deposits hadbeen formed throughout Oklahoma: zinc in the northeast, enough to supplyhalf of the world’s need for a time; coal in the southeast; salt in northcentral Oklahoma; gypsum in the west. Northwestern Oklahoma’s AlabasterCaverns is the largest gypsum cave in the world, with its rare and beautifulrose‐colored alabaster. Oklahoma also has an abundance of many othermaterials but is most famous for the vast deposits of oil and gas that arefound throughout the state.A sudden loss of the old life forms marks the end of the Paleozoicera. The Mesozoic era that followed is widely recognized as the age of reptiles,in particular the dinosaurs. In Oklahoma, this period began with anevent whose significance persists to this day, for it was then that the ironoxide sediments that give Oklahoma soils their red color were laid down.Rudolf Steiner indicates that iron is present on earth because of the influenceof Mars. It is significant for us because it is due to iron’s presence thatwe would eventually be attracted to earth.During the Jurassic period that followed, evidence of the strengthof the polar forces surfaced with the uplift of a line of granite mountains,known as the Nemaha Range. These extended through central Oklahomaand up to the northern border of Kansas. They were later submerged, onlyto be discovered because of the rich deposits of oil found there.Towards the end of the Mesozoic era, the shallow seas that hadcontinuously flooded Oklahoma, finally receded altogether, along with thedinosaurs. This completed the fundamental geology. It remained for a timeto perfect the flora and fauna of this region.Equatorial conditions had prevailed here during the precedingeras, but now the poles shifted those conditions farther to the south. Thescene of major geological changes moved to the west with the upsurge ofthe Rocky Mountains. This change brought drier conditions to the centralplains. Where once were seas and swamps, a wide savanna emerged with avariety of grasses. These grasses now supported great herds of large grazingmammals instead of giant reptiles.The dawn of the Ice Age brought further restrictions to the life formsin this region. The vast herds of buffalo and other animals that remained69