Incredible Natural Rock Formations

07/02/2023

Arches National Park

Another piece of nature’s artwork found in Utah, the Arches National Park is known for its inspiring natural arches. Salt beds deposited 300 million years ago from the receding ocean helped form the more than 2000 arches in the park.

As the salt shifted, the rock layered on top began to move creating domes and fins. As rain and ice found its way into crevices, it eroded the top Entrada and Navajo sandstone. Add wind to the mix and over the course of millions of years, the amazing arches formed.

07/02/2023

Bungle Bungle Range

The Bungle Bungle Range is located in Purnululu National Park in western Australia. The range rises up to 578 meters (1896 feet) above sea level and consists of distinctive sandstone domes striped with alternating orange and grey bands.

The banding of the domes are due to differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers. The orange bands are a thin layer of iron oxide while the grey banding is cyanobacteria which grows on the layers where moisture accumulates.

07/02/2023

05/02/2023

Man Pupu Nyor

Man Pupu Nyor, which translates as “little mountain of the gods,” is a geological wonder located deep in Russia’s Ural Mountains. They’re actually seven formations ranging in heights up to 42 meters (137 feet).

These awe-inspiring Seven Giants, as they’re called, reign over a flat plateau. Local legend says they were created when a shaman cast a spell, turning these evil giants into stone. Only the most intrepid travelers are likely to visit here, since they’re accessibly mainly by snowmobiles or helicopters.

03/02/2023

Twyfelfontein Organ Pipes

Travelers who are into geology will enjoy a visit to Organ Pipes near Twyfelfontein, Namibia. The dolerite columns that line the sides of a small valley resemble a pipe organ, though slightly more unusually shaped, such as triangles and hexagons, and date back 120 million years when volcanic activity was the norm. Organ Pipes makes a good stop over between Twyfelfontein, with its ancient rock engravings, and Burnt Mountain, known for its piles of blackened limestone.

01/02/2023

Externsteine

Externsteine, in northern Germany, has been a sacred site since prehistoric times, first used by pagans and later on by Christians. Externsteine consists of five enormous limestone pillars that are in astronomical alignment.

Sometime around the end of the eighth century, monks took up residence in the caves, carving staircases and religious reliefs in the rocks. Externsteine is in a highly scenic setting, today drawing a lot of New Age followers. A chapel sits atop one of the pillars; it is reachable by footbridge.

30/01/2023

Arbol de Piedra

Árbol de Piedra is an isolated rock formation in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in southwest Bolivia. Known as the “Stone Tree,” it is shaped like a stunted tree about 7 meters (23 feet) high. Its shape is caused by strong winds carrying sand and eroding the soft sandstone.