What is Red beds?
[[File:Palo Duro 2002.jpg|thumb|230px|Palo Duro [[Canyon]]. The red, lower slopes of the Canyon are [[Permian]] in age. These layers were deposited in a shallow marine environment which alternated with dry tidal flats.]] [[File:Siccar Point red capstone closeup.jpg|thumb|230px|Siccar Point, eroded gently sloping [[Devonian]] [[Old Red Sandstone]] layers forming capping over [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] layer and older vertically bedded [[Silurian]] [[greywacke]] rocks.]] [[File:Cross bedded Red Triassic Sandstone Cliffs - geograph.org.uk - 1116610.jpg|thumb|230px|Vivid [[New Red Sandstone]], [[Triassic]] period. It shows cross-bedded [[dune]] sandstone formed in a [[desert]]. [[Devon]], near mouth of the [[River Exe]]]] [[File:Roter Sandstein des Perms in Bad Kreuznach.jpg|thumb|230px|[[Permian]] redbeds]] The term '''red beds''' usually refers to [[stratum|strata]] of [[red]]dish-colored [[sedimentary rock]]s such as [[sandstone]], [[siltstone]] or [[shale]] that were deposited in hot climates under [[oxidation|oxidizing]] conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~babcock/v2_1.html |title=Ventura Red Beds |access-date=2011-01-25 |archive-date=2007-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225004428/http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~babcock/v2_1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> They are usually formed in terrestrial situations: on [[land]], and in [[river]]s and [[lake]]s. The red color comes from [[iron oxide]] in their [[mineral]] structure. Although they have been deposited throughout the [[Phanerozoic]], they are most commonly associated with rocks deposited during the [[Devonian]], [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] periods. The [[Old Red Sandstone]] is one of the most famous [[rock formation]]s. Red beds have economic significance since many of them contain reservoirs of [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]]. Secondary red beds are linked to the uplift, erosion and surface weathering of previously deposited sediments and require conditions similar to primary red beds for their formation. ==