Balancing Rock is a freak of nature overlooking St. Mary’s Bay created by hundreds of years of wind and ocean storms. How it continues to stand no one knows. The basalt column of rock stands 9 metres (20 foot) tall and sits on the edge of a cliff.
How was the balancing rock formed?
Like the other striking features within Garden of the Gods, Balanced Rock was formed by the uplift of the Rocky Mountains combined with erosion over millions and millions of years.
What is the balanced rock made of?
Fountain Formation sandstone
Balanced Rock is composed of Fountain Formation sandstone deposited along the edge of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains between 290 and 296 million years ago. Coarse sediments with sand and chunks of rock were swept off the mountains by quick-moving streams and rivers, which then deposited them in deltas and alluvial fans.
How old is the balancing rock?
This isn’t the first balancing rock to be discovered, and scientists believe that glaciers – capable of carrying such a heavy rock with them – left it behind as they receded to the North over 8,000 years ago.
What is the shape of the Balanced Rock in Nova Scotia?
Called “Nature’s Time Post”, the Balancing Rock is a narrow vertical column of basalt, balanced on its tip; the most-photographed of Long Island’s striking basalt formations.
Did the balancing rock fall?
On April 1, 1994, Paul Butcher, then the director of Colorado Springs parks department, received a chilling phone call from a frantic staff member. She told him that Balanced Rock—a 290-million-year-old red sandstone boulder naturally perched on a sloped ledge in Garden of the Gods Park—had fallen.
How is the Balanced Rock Balanced?
Balanced Rock, one of the most iconic features in the park, stands a staggering 128 feet (39m) tall. While this formation may appear to be an epic balancing act, it’s actually not balanced at all. The slick rock boulder of Entrada Sandstone sits attached to its eroding pedestal of Dewey Bridge mudstone.
What is the purpose of balancing rock?
Balancing rocks is seen by those who perform it as a meditative and creative activity, with artists saying that the process of physically handling and balancing the stones provides them with mental health benefits. Some compare the impermanence of the structures to zen buddhism.
When did balancing rock fall?
It is unclear what exactly caused the famous rock to lose its balance and come crashing down after 10,000 to 15,000 years, but retired geologist and Holliston resident Carol Hildreth attributed the landmark’s downfall to ‘time and weathering,’ also known as erosion.
How heavy is the balancing rock?
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 3,577 tons, the same as an icebreaker ship or 27 blue whales.
How tall is the balancing rock?
At the end of the trail, a series of 253 wooden steps provide access to a cliffside viewing platform overlooking the 20-foot high finger of basalt.
How old is the rock in Nova Scotia?
The assemblage of fossils found at Wasson Bluff are consistent with other early Jurassic fossil sites. This leads us to conclude that the red sandstone at Wasson Bluff is just over 202 million years old.
What is the art of balancing rocks called?
Stone Balancing as Yoga
Others, like Shane Hart, choose more challenging rocks to balance rather than pile, using the practice like a meditation. He calls it “Upala yoga,” with “upala” meaning “stone” in Sanskrit. This balancing of stones as a yoga practice is a meditation on impermanence.
Where is the oldest rock in Nova Scotia found?
The southern half of Nova Scotia is a distinct, allochthonous fragment known as the Meguma Terrane. The oldest rocks in the Meguma Terrane comprise a flysch sequence of quartzite and slate assigned to the Cambrian to Ordovician Meguma Group.
How did the balancing rock fall?
Several social media accounts posted that the 5-ton boulder, located in the Balancing Rock Village, a 55- and older development, had fallen down. The Holliston Police Department confirmed the rock is down. A dispatcher theorized the cause was erosion.
Is balancing rock still standing?
The Balancing Rock is a force of nature standing proudly on the cliffs overlooking St. Mary’s Bay.
What caused the rock to split?
Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth. Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. Once a rock has been broken down, a process called erosion transports the bits of rock and mineral away.
Is Balanced Rock man made?
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.
How many steps are in balancing rocks?
235-step
Well-groomed 2.5-km trail and 235-step staircase lead to a platform with view of St. Mary’s Bay and the Balancing Rock; interpretive panels, rest areas, picnic tables.
What is the most famous rock in the world?
Uluru may be the world’s most famous rock but despite a common perception, it isn’t the world’s largest. Located in the state of Western Australia, Mount Augustus is the world’s largest rock and is approximately two-and-a-half times the size of Uluru!
Is Balanced Rock man made?
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.