Nature is a true master at creating the most incredible landscapes, which does not require any auxiliary tools. All she needs is wind, water, temperature changes and from several tens to hundreds of thousands of years of time. Monoliths deserve special attention. They differ from other geological formations in that they represent a solid block of stone. From the age reaches several million years, and the size of some specimens exceeds several kilometers. There are only 11 such giant stones on Earth, and in order to truly appreciate their size, you should see them at least once with your own eyes.
El Captain, USA
The mountain looms over the Yosemite Valley. El Capitan is considered the world's largest granite monolith. Its summit is at an altitude of 910 meters. This is a favorite place for climbers and base jumpers.
Augustus, Australia
The monolith is located on the territory of the national park of the same name in Australia. The geological formation rises 860 meters above the surrounding plain. The area occupied by the monolith is 47.95 sq. Km.
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Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
A monolithic limestone rock with a height of 426 meters was formed about 200 million years ago as a result of the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. There are more than 100 caves inside the rock, formed as a result of the washing out of calcite from limestone. The rock forms a peninsula, on the western slope of which is the city itself and the reserve of Barbary macaques.
Ben Amera, Mauritania
The monolith is located in Mauritania, near the border with Western Sahara. The height of the geological formation is 400 meters.
Sugarloaf, Brazil
One of the business cards of Rio de Janeiro was created by nature itself. The mountain was formed as a result of the weathering of intrusive igneous rocks that ended up on the earth's surface. It consists of a monolith of granite and quartz and rises 396 meters above the surrounding landscape.
Devils Tower, USA
The monolith of volcanic origin is considered the oldest "national monument" in the United States. The Devils Tower is estimated by scientists to be between 225 and 195 million years old. A monolith of magmatic melt was formed, which rose from the depths and froze. The monolith is 386 meters high.
Peña de Bernal, Mexico
The 350-meter-high mountain is composed of dacite, a highly silicate igneous volcanic rock. According to geologists, the monolith was formed during the Jurassic period.
Uluru, Australia
A massive oval-shaped orange-brown rock formed about 680 million years ago. It is located in the middle of the desert. The length of the monolith is 3.6 km, the width is about 3 km, and the mountain rises 348 meters. At the base of the mountain, there are caves in which ancient drawings have been preserved.
Stone Mountain, USA
The granite monolith is 250 meters high and has more than 8 km. in a circle. The mountain is decorated with the world's largest carved bas-relief "Memorial of the Confederation", which has an area of about 12,000 square meters.
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
The cliff rises 170 meters above the surrounding plain. The monolith was formed as a result of volcanic processes and the release of magma, presumably taking place about 2 million years ago. At the top of the mountain, there was once a citadel palace. Now only the paws of a lion at the foot of the monolith are left of the palace complex. Since 1982, Sigiriya has been protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Moreau, USA
The age of this dome-shaped granite monolith is estimated at 100 million years. The relative height of Moro is 75 meters. The top of the monolith can be climbed by a staircase consisting of 400 steps.