In the canyonlands of Utah and Arizona, canyon walls often support "hanging gardens" in which plants cling to sandstone cliffs and these hanging gardens are typically along shale beds in the sandstone.These areas are deserts, so what might explain these features?
A) The shales form better soils than the sand, so the plants grow there.
B) The shales form aquitards in the sandstone acquifer, trapping groundwater along the shale horizons that helps aid plant growth.
C) The shales hold the water better than the sandstone, so plants preferentially grow in them.
D) The shales are more fractured than the sandstones so the plants have an easier time starting in the shale.

Respuesta :

Answer:

B) The shales form aquitards in the sandstone acquifer, trapping groundwater along the shale horizons that helps aid plant growth.

Explanation:

The main reason why this can take place is because shales form aquitards in the sandstone acquifer, and in this way, they trap groundwater along the shales, which helps with plant growth. Shale is a sedimentary rock that is made up of silt and clay mineral particles (what we usually call "mud"). Therefore, it belongs to the category of "mudstones."