Sunday, December 14, 2008

Petrified robots

The "Torrioni di Monrupino" are calcareous tower-like formations 10 m (33 feet) high, consisting of a rock mainly composed of fragmented shells, especially bivalves, cemented with calcite. The towers are a particularly interesting natural phenomenon because they undergo less corrosion by rainwater and have remained isolated from surrounding calcareous surfaces, which are more easily soluble. In addition, this rocky outcrop is settled in a saddle, where washing away is more intense: insoluble residuals of carbonate rocks do not remain in their original place, causing a greater difference in height between the towers and the surrounding field. The result is an impressive natural monument.

12 comments:

Hilda said...

That's fascinating. Are there many such natural monuments in the area?

Stefan Jansson said...

wow, never seen anything like that before, live and learn!

Unknown said...

Amazing rock formations! Fantastic shot!
Great geometry on your previous post! Love it!

Guy D said...

Fantastic shot.

Cheers
Regina In Pictures

CeciliaGallerani said...

I'd love to come across one of these on a long, solitary walk. What a fantastic photo.

Anonymous said...

That is incredible. Things you miss on visits. Next time I will look out for these.

Bolina Stretta said...

Mai visti ! Incredibile !

Ho girato il Carso a piedi per anni come Boy Scout prima e C.A.I. dopo, e non li ho mai visti ( che vergogna)

Come sempre, complimenti per queste perle che riesci sempre a trovare !

Bravo !

humanobserver said...

scary....

Diederick Wijmans said...

What a magnificent rock-formation!!
(Non lo conoscevo!)
Buona settimana, anche se piove da matti!

valeria said...

This is just stunning! Nice colours too, what with the yellow grass and the thin branches. Very good!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Your observation is brillinat. These are truly unique.

Judy said...

Impressive is right! I love the colours!
Thanks for sharing!