An unconformity is a buried erosion surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages, indicating that sediment deposition was not continuous.

In this case, the older Sandia Granite (1.5 Billion years) is in direct contact with strata of Pennsylvanian sedimentation (300 million years). Thus 1.2 Billion years of history is missing.

Dear Ma

Your igneous swirls betray the true story

Lying directly beneath the crumbling beds of stone

Perfect contact

Almost Impossible

Ageless granite cast in primordial fires

Kissing youth

Keeping its dark secret

Traceless

Your methodical, plodding record

Erased by an unknown

Countless entries of life and death

Gone

Missing links

A void inferred by

Uniformitarian principles

Which you beg to disguise

And perhaps to remind us

That our puny time of existence

On your terms can be vaporized

Without a trace

A million times over

And you would still have time for breakfast

Copyright 2009 Patrick Granfors