FAIR CHIMNEYS OF TURKEY Al Naslaa Rock Formation of Saudi Arabia
Cappadocia: Turkey's land of fairy chimneys. Cappadocia, a dreamy slice of
central Turkey dotted with 'fairy chimneys' (rock formations), has a history every
bit as remarkable as its landscape.
The chimneys are a result of a geologic process that began millions of years
ago, when volcanic eruptions rained ash across what would eventually become
Turkey. That ash hardened into tuff, a porous rock, which was covered by a layer
of basalt. Finally, the long work of erosion began. As millennia passed, the softer
tuff wore down, giving way to pillars that stand as tall as 130 feet. The harder
basalt erodes more slowly, forming a protective, mushroom-shaped cap over
each one. Just like that, a fairy chimney is born — no pixie dust required. That's
not to say the chimneys aren't magical.
There are many natural occurrences that might puzzle a traveler. One of
them is Al Naslaa Rock Formation, located in Tayma oasis, Saudi Arabia.
Recent archaeological discoveries show that Tayma has been inhabited
since the ancient times. Al Naslaa is one of the most photogenic
petroglyphs in the area. The perfect slit between the two standing stones
and the flat faces are completely natural. Note the small pedestals
supporting the boulders. Most likely the ground shifted slightly underneath
one of the two supports and the rock split. Could be from a volcanic dike
of some weaker mineral that solidified there before everything was
exhumed. Or, it could be an old pressure crack (you see a parallel crack
just to the right of it) that has been pushed/pulled apart some. Or, it could
be an old (minor) fault line, since fault motion often creates a zone of
weakened rock that erodes relatively easier than the surrounding rock.
 THE IMMORTAL BRIDGE OF
CHINA
On the top of Tai Shan (Mount Tai) in China there is the so-called Immortal
Bridge - a beautiful and remarkable arch formation. The arch is made up of single
huge rolling stones, which once fell between the rocks and remained stuck
between them. At first glance it is difficult to believe that a man has nothing to do
with the creation of this amazing bridge. And it seems that the bridge can
collapse at any time and fall into the abyss. In reality, the stones have been in the
unchanging position for several million years.
The arch was formed during the ice age, according to rough estimates of
scientists. Local residents connect many legends and folk beliefs with the
Immortal Bridge. According to one of them, a man who dares to cross the bridge,
will gain immortality. For many years, the arch is a cult place to which a large
number of pilgrims come. They regard the Immortal Bridge as a symbol of rebirth
and eternal life.
MARBLE CAVES IN CHILE
Formed by 6,000-plus years of waves washing up against calcium
carbonate, the smooth, swirling blues of the cavern walls are a reflection
of the lake’s azure waters, which change in intensity and hue, depending
on water levels and time of year.
Located far from any road, the caves are accessible only by boat. Thirty-
minute tours are operated by a local company, weather and water
conditions permitting. The best time of the year to visit the Marble Caves
is roughly between September and February when the ice melts feeding
the lake and the color of the water is particularly enchanting turquoise. In
terms of hours, the best time to take a boat tour is early morning to catch
the right lighting for great pictures.
Árbol de Piedra in Bolivia
Árbol de Piedra ("stone tree") is an isolated rock formation in the
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve of Sur Lípez Province,
Bolivia. Much photographed, it projects out of the altiplano sand dunes of
Siloli in the Potosí Department, about 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of
Laguna Colorada. Known as the "Stone Tree," it is shaped like a stunted
tree about 7 m high. Its shape, particularly the thin stem, are due to strong
winds carrying sand and eroding the soft sandstone.
Kjeragbolten in Norway
is a boulder on the mountain Kjerag in Forsand municipality in Rogaland
county, Norway. The rock itself is a 5-cubic-metre (180 cu ft) glacial
deposit wedged in the mountain's crevasse. It is a popular tourist
destination and is accessible without any climbing equipment. However, it
is suspended above a 984-metre (3,228 ft) deep abyss. It is also a popular
site for BASE jumping. The boulder is just southwest of the village of
Lysebotn, just south of the Lysefjorden.
Landscape Arch Utah, USA
Landscape Arch is the longest of the many natural rock arches located in
Arches National Park, Utah, United States. The arch is among many in the
Devils Garden section in the north of the park. Landscape Arch was
named by Frank Beckwith who explored the area in the winter of 1933–
1934 as the leader of an Arches National Monument scientific expedition.
The arch can be accessed by a 0.8 mi (1.3 km) graded gravel trail.
The Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS) considers Landscape Arch
the fifth longest natural arch in the world, after four arches in China. The
span of Landscape Arch was measured at 290.1 feet (88.4 m), ±0.8 feet
(0.24 m), in 2004. NABS measured the span of the slightly shorter Kolob
Arch in Zion National Park at 287 feet (87 m) in 2006
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world's largest salt flat, at
10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is in the Daniel Campos
Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes and is
at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above sea level.The Salar was
formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It
is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary
flatness with the average elevation variations within one meter over the
entire area of the Salar. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a
pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. It contains 50% to 70%
of the world's known lithium reserves.The large area, clear skies, and
exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar an ideal object for
calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites. Following rain, a
thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world's largest
mirror, 129 kilometres (80 miles) across.
 Giant's Causeway in Ireland
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt
columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.It is located in
County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles
(4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a national
nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern
Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was
named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.[5] The
tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and
disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although
there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are
about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is
28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.
Balanced Rock in Utah, USA
Balanced Rock is one of the most popular features of Arches National
Park, situated in Grand County, Utah, United States. Balanced Rock is
located next to the park's main road, at about 9.2 miles (14.8 km) from the
park entrance. It is one of only a few prominent features clearly visible
from the road. The total height of Balanced Rock is 128 feet (39 m), with
the balancing rock rising 55 feet (16.75 m) above the base. This rock is
the largest of its kind in the park, weighing approximately the same as an
icebreaker ship or 27 blue whales. Balanced Rock had a smaller sibling
named "Chip-Off-the-Old-Block" that collapsed in the winter of 1975-1976,
the eventual fate of this feature as well. There is also a short loop trail
leading around the base of the rock.

Balancing rock in Canada
A balancing rock, also called balanced rock or precarious boulder, is a
naturally occurring geological formation featuring a large rock or boulder,
sometimes of substantial size, resting on other rocks, bedrock, or on
glacial till. Some formations known by this name only appear to be
balancing, but are in fact firmly connected to a base rock by a pedestal or
stem. No single scientific definition of the term exists, and it has been
applied to a variety of rock features that fall into one of four general
categories:
Fly Geyser in Nevada, USA
Fly Geyser, also known as Fly Ranch Geyser is a small geothermal
geyser located on private land in Washoe County, Nevada approximately
20 miles (32 km) north of Gerlach. Fly Geyser is located near the edge of
Fly Reservoir in the Hualapai Geothermal Flats and is approximately 5
feet (1.5 m) high by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide, counting the mound on which it
sits.
In June 2016, the non-profit Burning Man Project purchased the 3,800
acres (1,500 ha) Fly Ranch, including the geyser, for $6.5 million. The
Burning Man Project began offering limited public access to the property in
May 2018. The geyser contains thermophilic algae, which flourishes in
moist, hot environments, resulting in multiple hues of green and red
coloring the rocks.
 Split Apple Rock in South Island, New Zealand
Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation in Tasman Bay off the
northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Made of granite from
Moeraki Boulders Otago Coast, New
the cretaceous, it is in the shape of an apple which has been cut in half.
The cleft to produce two sides of the 'apple' was a naturally occurring joint.
Zealand
Joints occur commonly in granite and are plains of weakness that rain and The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a
waves exploit. The traditional Maori mythological for the formation stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave-cut Otago coast of New Zealand between
describes two gods breaking apart the rock. It is a popular tourist Moeraki and Hampden. They occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of
attraction in the waters of the Tasman Sea approximately 50 metres off
boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected in a scientific
the coast between Kaiteriteri and Marahau. The rock sits in shallow water
reserve. The erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and
at low tide and is accessible by wading. It is also a point of interest for the
many tourist boats and pleasure craft which operate along the shores of landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated boulders. These boulders are
the Abel Tasman National Park. The name Split Apple Rock was made grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the
official in 1988, and was officially altered to Tokangawhā / Split Apple mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.
Rock in August 2014.
 Torghatten in Norway
Torghatten is a granite mountain on Torget island in Brønnøy municipality

Folding Rocks at Agia in Nordland county, Norway. It is known for its characteristic hole, or
natural tunnel, through its center. It is possible to walk up to the tunnel on
a well-prepared path, and through it on a natural path.

Pavlos, Greece On 6 May 1988, Widerøe Flight 710 from Namsos to Brønnøysund
crashed into the side of the mountain, and all the 36 passengers and crew
died.
These sedimentary limestone layers were once layered horizontal at the
bottom of the sea. They've been folded and crushed with huge tectonic
forces for thousands of years and now their sharp edges point vertically up
to the sky.
 Abandoned Salt Mine in Russia
Deep below a Russian town rests something that has literally taken my breath
away, and probably will yours as well. We’ve done posts about some incredible
abandoned salt mines, but I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like this
before. A Russian urban explorer decided he wanted to see what was left of this
old salt mine. 20 hours later and he exited the mine shafts in absolutely awe of
what he had just witnessed. Words really can’t describe the beauty absolute
wonder of what was down there.