What caused Wave Rocks formation?
Inselbergs are created by the erosive action of wind and water over millions of years, and Wave Rock’s distinctive shape has been caused by erosion of the softer rock, which has undercut the base and left an overhang. As you stand beneath the wave you’ll feel all the power of an ancient rock poised to crash over you.
When and how was the wave rock formation formed?
Hyden Rock began forming during the Cretaceous Period over 100 million years ago when Australia broke away from Antarctica. Geologists classify Wave Rock as a flared slope, a concave bedrock surface at the base of the inselberg. Its odd shape comes from two main processes: weathering and erosion.
What type of rock is the wave made of?
The Wave is a natural formation of sandstone rocks in the Coyote Buttes of Arizona. The formation looks like a rising wave. The striped pattern is formed by many layers of rock particles that were left there by the wind.
What caused Uluru to form?
400 million years ago, the sea disappeared. Rocks folded and tilted as the earth’s tectonic plates shifted. Kata Tjuta tilted slightly and Uluru tilted 90 degrees. Over the last 300 million years, the softer rocks eroded away, leaving the spectacular forms of Uluru and Kata Tjuta behind.
Who is wave rock sacred to?
“This is a very significant place in that overall picture which crosses all of Noongar country and has a value that goes up into the desert and further east from Noongar country itself,” said CEO of South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council, Greg Kelly. Mr Kelly says the site is sacred to the Noongar people.
How is Wave Rock protected?
Along the top of the wave, a low stone wall has been built that looks too flimsy for protection and too ugly for decoration. In fact, it’s there to guide rainwater to the nearby Hyden Humps Dam.
How was Wave Rock changed over time?
Beneath the fields of eroded bits and pieces, the remaining rock was weathered into domes beneath the ground. Erosion, over a vast expanse of time, exposed the granite domes to the surface, and the structure we now call Wave Rock began to form.
What is the Dreamtime story of how Uluru was created?
The natural landmark is thought to have been formed by ancestral beings during the Dreaming. According to the local Aboriginal people, Uluru’s numerous caves and fissures were all formed due to ancestral beings actions in the Dreaming. Still today, ceremonies are held in the sacred caves lining the base.
How is wave rock formed for kids?
Wave Rock is about 45 feet (14 meters) high and 360 feet (110 meters) long. The cliff was formed by weathering and erosion over millions of years. It is a type of rock formation known as a flared slope. Over time, the rock fragments and soil around the granite eroded, revealing the flared slope.
What are facts about wave rock?
The Wave The Wave is a natural rock formation made of eroded sandstone, with the formation reaching 1,593 metres (5,275 feet) above sea level. The Wave can be found on the borders of Arizona and Utah, in the United States, found in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness in the Coyote Buttes area. The Wave is sloped ditches and ‘waves’ of sandstone.
What rock types are found in wave rock?
Porphyritic granite- porphyritic is known as a granite rock and is found in wave rock. Porphyritic Granite colour is normally red or white and it has black little spots on the rock. The little black spots are known as biotite mica.
How did wave rock get its name?
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that derives its name from the fact that it looks like a tall breaking ocean wave . Measuring around 14 metres tall and around 110 metres long, Wave Rock forms the northern side of a solitary hill known as Hyden Rock.
Where can find this wave-like rock formation?
The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in Arizona, United States near its northern border with Utah. The formation is situated on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)…