Horst (geology)

Alright kiddo, let me break it down for you. Do you see how there are mountains and hills around us? Well, sometimes these big rocks can crack and break apart, and this creates gaps or spaces in the Earth's crust.

Now imagine that rain or snow falls and seeps into these gaps. Over time, the water can carry minerals and other substances with it into the gaps. When the water evaporates or moves out of the gap, these minerals can be left behind and start to build up on the rocks inside the gap.

Sometimes, these mineral deposits can create a cone or mound shape inside the gap, which we call a "horst." It's kind of like a mini mountain inside a crack! Horsts can be made of different minerals like gypsum, salt, or other types of rock.

The cool thing about horsts is that they can often show us what the Earth was like a really long time ago - sometimes millions of years ago! Geologists like to study horsts to learn more about how the Earth has changed over time and to understand more about how rocks are formed.