List of rock formations

Last updated

Rocks formations and the Dedo de Deus (God's Finger) peak in the background, Serra dos Orgaos National Park, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil Amanhecer no Hercules --.jpg
Rocks formations and the Dedo de Deus (God's Finger) peak in the background, Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
Raouche or Pigeons' Rock in Beirut, Lebanon BeirutRaouche1.jpg
Raouché or Pigeons' Rock in Beirut, Lebanon
Druid Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, US Druid Arch. Needles District. Canyonlands UT. (9862534466).jpg
Druid Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, US
View of Meteora, Greece Greece meteora monasteries.JPG
View of Meteora, Greece
Rock formations in Ongamira Valley, Sierras de Cordoba, Argentina Valle de Ongamira - Oeste.jpg
Rock formations in Ongamira Valley, Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina
Belogradchik Rocks, Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria Oblast Vidin - Belogradchik - Belogradchishki skali - (6).jpg
Belogradchik Rocks, Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria
"Jaws", an erosional fin in Little Finland, Nevada, US Jaws (5730281045).jpg
"Jaws", an erosional fin in Little Finland, Nevada, US
"Hajducka vrata" on Cvrsnica, Herzegovina Hajducka Vrata.JPG
"Hajdučka vrata" on Čvrsnica, Herzegovina
Paklenica, Croatia Paklenica4.jpg
Paklenica, Croatia
Devil's Town, Serbia Davolja Varos.jpg
Devil's Town, Serbia
Three Sisters in Blue Mountains, Australia Blue Mountains National Park (AU), Three Sisters -- 2019 -- 1983.jpg
Three Sisters in Blue Mountains, Australia

A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term rock formation can also refer to specific sedimentary strata or other rock unit in stratigraphic and petrologic studies.

Contents

A rock structure can be created in any rock type or combination:

Geologists have created a number of terms to describe different rock structures in the landscape that can be formed by natural processes:

Here is a list of rock formations by continent.

Asia

Armenia

China

Hong Kong

Jordan

India

Israel

Lebanon

Mongolia

Pakistan

Thailand

Turkey

Other countries

Africa

Kenya

Libya

Madagascar

Mauritania

Namibia

Nigeria

South Africa

North America

United States

Canada

Caribbean

Mexico

Central America

South America

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Falkland Islands

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

Venezuela

Europe

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

A view of the Wonderful Bridges, Bulgaria Sl'nchevi l'chi.JPG
A view of the Wonderful Bridges, Bulgaria

Croatia

Paklenica, Croatia Nationalpark Paklenica Schlucht.JPG
Paklenica, Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Lange Anna Lange Anna, Helgoland.JPG
Lange Anna

Germany

Meteora with Greek Orthodox monasteries Monastery Varlaam, Meteora, Greece.jpg
Meteora with Greek Orthodox monasteries

Greece

Gibraltar

The iconic Rock of Gibraltar Rock of Gibraltar northwest.jpg
The iconic Rock of Gibraltar

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Pietra di Bismantova, Italy Pietra di bismantova castelnovo monti.jpg
Pietra di Bismantova, Italy

Latvia

North Macedonia

Malta

Isle of Man

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

The collapsed Bride's Cave (Salt Mountain) from Slanic, Romania Grota miresii slanic RO.jpg
The collapsed Bride's Cave (Salt Mountain) from Slănic, Romania

Russia

Kigilyakhs in the Ulakhan-Sis Range. Kigilyakhs in the Ulakhan-Sis (3).jpg
Kigilyakhs in the Ulakhan-Sis Range.

Serbia

Vratna Gates natural stone bridges in Serbia Suva prerast2.jpg
Vratna Gates natural stone bridges in Serbia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Slovakia

Goticka brana, Sulov rocks, Slovakia Sulov gotic.jpg
Gotická brána, Sulov rocks, Slovakia

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Oceania

Talava arches, Niue Talava arches.jpg
Talava arches, Niue

Australia

Uluru, Australia A188, Northern Territory, Australia, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ayers Rock at sunset, 2007.JPG
Uluru, Australia

New Zealand

Castle Hill, New Zealand Castle Hill New Zealand.jpg
Castle Hill, New Zealand

Other countries

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canyon</span> Deep chasm between cliffs

A canyon, gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream. A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains. The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river's headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff</span> Tall, near vertical rock face

In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually composed of rock that is resistant to weathering and erosion. The sedimentary rocks that are most likely to form cliffs include sandstone, limestone, chalk, and dolomite. Igneous rocks such as granite and basalt also often form cliffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petroglyph</span> Images carved on a rock surface as a form of rock art

A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images. Petroglyphs, estimated to be 20,000 years old are classified as protected monuments and have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Petroglyphs are found worldwide, and are often associated with prehistoric peoples. The word comes from the Greek prefix petro-, from πέτρα petra meaning "stone", and γλύφω glýphō meaning "carve", and was originally coined in French as pétroglyphe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monolith</span> Stone block made of one single piece; object made of one single rock piece

A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monoliths are volcanic plugs, solidified lava filling the vent of an extinct volcano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Plateau</span> Plateau in southwestern United States

The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of 336,700 km2 (130,000 mi2) within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, southern and eastern Utah, northern Arizona, and a tiny fraction in the extreme southeast of Nevada. About 90% of the area is drained by the Colorado River and its main tributaries: the Green, San Juan, and Little Colorado. Most of the remainder of the plateau is drained by the Rio Grande and its tributaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoodoo (geology)</span> Tall, thin spire of relatively soft rock usually topped by harder rock

A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock formed by erosion. Hoodoos typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheile Bicazului-Hășmaș National Park</span>

The Cheile Bicazului - Hășmaș National Park is located in north-eastern Romania, in the Eastern Carpathians mountain chain. The reservation territory is part of Neamț and Harghita counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicaz Gorge</span>

The Bicaz Gorge is a gorge in Romania, located in the north-east part of the country, in Neamț and Harghita counties. It is situated in the central part of the Hășmaș Mountains, and it is part of the Cheile Bicazului-Hășmaș National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piedra River (Colorado)</span> River

The Piedra River is a river in the U.S. state of Colorado. It drains parts of Archuleta, Hinsdale, and Mineral counties along a mainstem length of about 40 miles (64 km). The river flows through a series of isolated box canyons, emptying into the San Juan River at Navajo Lake. Its name stems from the Spanish word, piedra, meaning rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balancing rock</span> Naturally occurring precariously balanced rock

A balancing rock, also called a 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fossiliferous limestone</span> Limestone containing fossils

Fossiliferous limestone is a type of limestone that contains noticeable quantities of fossils or fossil traces. If a particular type of fossil dominates, a more specialized term can be used as in "Crinoidal", "Coralline", "Conchoidal" limestone. If seashells, shell fragments, and shell sand form a significant part of the rock, a term "shell limestone" is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isis Temple</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Isis Temple is a prominence in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Southwestern United States. It is located below the North Rim and adjacent to the Granite Gorge along the Colorado River. The Trinity Creek and canyon flow due south at its west border; its north, and northeast border/flank is formed by Phantom Creek and canyon, a west tributary of Bright Angel Creek; the creeks intersect about 3 mi (4.8 km) southeast, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km) north of Granite Gorge. The Isis Temple prominence, is only about 202 ft (62 m) lower than Grand Canyon Village, the main public center on Grand Canyon’s South Rim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Canyon Supergroup</span> Sequence of sedimentary strata

The Grand Canyon Supergroup is a Mesoproterozoic to a Neoproterozoic sequence of sedimentary strata, partially exposed in the eastern Grand Canyon of Arizona. This group comprises the Unkar Group, Nankoweap Formation, Chuar Group and the Sixtymile Formation, which overlie Vishnu Basement Rocks. Several notable landmarks of the Grand Canyon, such as the Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid, and the Apollo Temple, are surface manifestations of the Grand Canyon Supergroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Spotlight</span> Wallpaper image application

Windows Spotlight is a feature included with Windows 10 and Windows 11 which downloads images and advertisements from Bing and displays them as background wallpapers on the lock screen. In 2017, Microsoft began adding location information for many of the photographs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocetá Páramo</span>

The Ocetá Páramo is a páramo, which means an ecosystem above the continuous forest line yet below the permanent snowline. This particular páramo is located at altitudes between 2,950 metres (9,680 ft) and 3,950 metres (12,960 ft) in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. It covers parts of the municipalities Monguí, Mongua and Tópaga, belonging to the Sugamuxi Province, Boyacá. The Ocetá Páramo is known for its collection of small shrubs called frailejones, as well as other Andean flora and fauna. Hiking tours from Monguí or Mongua to the páramo take a full day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kigilyakh</span> Natural tall rock pillars in Yakutia

Kigilyakh or kisiliyakh are pillar-like natural rock formations looking like tall monoliths standing more or less isolated. Usually they are composed of granite or sandstone shaped as a result of cryogenic weathering. Most kigilyakhs formed during the Cretaceous period and are about 120 million years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piatra Craiului National Park</span> Protected area in Romania

Piatra Craiului National Park is a protected area of national interest in Romania corresponding to IUCN category II, located on the territories of Argeș and Brașov counties. Located on the Piatra Craiului Massif, it is largely karstic.

References

  1. "Olumo Rock - A Nigerian Tourist Destination". www.olumorock.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  2. "Escalando el Gunko de Boquete" (in Spanish). El Chiricano. 2007-06-04.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. "Stânca Babacai (de aici incepe Clisura de sus)". wikimapia.org. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  4. "Красноярские Столбы". www.stolby.ru. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  5. The Djavolja Varos (Devil's Town) Natural Landmark, UNESCO World Heritage
  6. "Vodopad Prskalo" (in Serbian). FreeBiking.org.