MikeLigalig.com

Shaped and sculpted over millions of years, these stunning landscapes and rock formations hold invaluable clues to Earth's past and future

Presented by
Shreya Dasgupta




Fairy Chimneys, Turkey

These strange conical spires are found in the Cappadocia region of Turkey.

Several million years ago, active volcanoes spewed volcanic ash that covered the ground. Rainwater and wind eroded the soft compressed volcanic ash, leaving behind the harder overlying basalts, forming the fairy chimneys.

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Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania

Formally known as the Richat Structure, the Eye of the Sahara looks like a bullseye from above.

Located in the Sahara desert, it is a dome-shaped rock structure about 50 km across. Once thought to have been caused by a meteorite impact, it is now believed to have formed from uplifted rock that was later eroded.

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Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

Resembling giant turtle shells, these spherical boulders lie strewn on New Zealand's Koekohe Beach.

These boulders started forming in sediments on the sea floor over 60 million years ago. Carbonates built up around a central core, similar to the way pearls form around a speck of grit.

According to Maori legends, the boulders are remnants of gourds and eel baskets, washed ashore from the wreck of a sailing canoe.

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Stone Forest, China

Blade-like columns of limestone, many over 10 m tall, form a landscape that resembles a forest of stones. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The stone forests formed some 270 million years ago in what was once a shallow sea. Sandstone and limestone accumulated in the basin, and was eventually pushed up into the air. The rocks were then shaped by wind and water to create these spectacular stone pillars.

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Wave Rock, Australia

This concave rock is 14 m high and 110 m long. It is part of the northern side of Hyden Rock, a giant granite outcrop over 2.7 billion years old, located in Hyden Wildlife Park in Western Australia.

The wave is believed to have formed by the action of running water on granite. The colourful streaks on its face are made of minerals left behind by rainwater run-off.

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Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

These massive hexagonal black basalt columns rise like steps and interlock neatly. There are over 40,000.

They probably formed after volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago. The sizes of the columns were most likely determined by the speed at which the erupted lava cooled.

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Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Popular among hikers, Vermillion Cliffs is a treasure trove of deep canyons and steep cliffs. It is also home to "The Wave" (pictured), which is made up of undulating sandstone.

The Monument is located on the Colorado Plateau, and gets its rich reddish hues from the sandstone that formed the landscape. The colours of the site change as the day progresses.

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San Andreas Fault, California

This is one giant fracture on the earth's crust, nearly 1,300 km long. The fault line began forming over 30 million years ago when two massive tectonic plates – the Pacific and North American – collided.

A major earthquake may well strike the San Andreas Fault in the coming decades.


http://www.bbc.com/earth/

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