Teepee (also spelled tepee or tipi) structures are sedimentary structures interpreted to represent formation in peritidal environments. Teepees are largely the result of evaporation of water and subsequent precipitation of minerals within sediment, resulting in expansion and buckling to form a teepee-like shape. Their name originates from geologists working in the Guadalupe Mountains, who noted their appearance in cross-section resembles that of a Native American teepee.[1]
Teepee structures have been observed in rocks more than 2.7 billion years old,[2] and can be seen forming in modern environments on Earth, such as the Dead Sea.[3]
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