A stack
or sea stack is a rock formation made up of a steep or upright column or
columns of rock in the sea near a coast. They are formed when part of a
headland is eroded by water crashing against the rock or as a result of
wind erosion. These impressive formations are intricately created by
nature only through time, tide and wind. Here are 10 famous sea stack
formations from around the World.
01. Dun Briste, Ireland
Photo Link
Dun Briste, a spectacular
sea-stack, estimated to be approximately 50 metres (165ft) in height,
stands 80 metres (260ft) off Downpatrick Head, in the town-land of
Knockaun, east of Ballycastle, Ireland. Downpatrick Head is where the
Atlantic has gouged a huge bay from the mighty cliffs and their summits
scoured of all vegetation except grass by the ceaseless ocean winds.
Each year, Downpatrick is
frequented by birdwatchers, who come to observe and record the many
different species which take up positions on the stratified face of the
stack as the seasons change. In May and early June, the headland itself
is a blaze of colour when the sea-pink comes into bloom. Link Map
09 more Sea Stacks after the break...
02. Sail Rock, Russia
Photo Link
Sail Rock is a natural sandstone monolith located on the shore of the Black Sea, in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It resembles the outline of a ship’s sail, hence its name. The monolith lies 17 km (10.5mi) to the southeast of Gelendzhik, near the village of Praskoveyevka (which is about 500 meters (1,650ft) from the coast) and the farmstead of Dzhankhot (approximately twice that distance from the coast).
Sail Rock is a natural sandstone monolith located on the shore of the Black Sea, in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It resembles the outline of a ship’s sail, hence its name. The monolith lies 17 km (10.5mi) to the southeast of Gelendzhik, near the village of Praskoveyevka (which is about 500 meters (1,650ft) from the coast) and the farmstead of Dzhankhot (approximately twice that distance from the coast).
Sail Rock has a sheer vertical
slope confronting the shore of sea, isolated from the mass of basic rock
by geological forces. It is more than three-fourths revealed by the
tide and lies perpendicular to the coast. What is most remarkable about
this landmark is its proportions. While the cliff is only a little more
than a meter (3ft) thick, its height is about 25 meters (82ft) and its
length about 20 (66ft). Thus, the form of the cliff is described as
resembling the outline of a quadrangular sail. Link Map
03. Old Man of Hoy, Scotland, UK
Photo Link
The Old Man of Hoy is a 449 feet
(137m) sea stack on the island of Hoy. It is a distinctive landmark from
the Thurso to Stromness ferry and was first climbed in 1966. This stack
is an red sandstone stack, perched on a plinth of basalt rock. It
stands close to Rackwick Bay on the west coast of the island of Hoy, in
the Orkney Islands, Scotland.
Photo Link
The stack is probably less than
400 years old and may not get much older, as there are indications that
it may soon collapse. On maps drawn between 1600 and 1750, the area
appears as a headland with no sea stack. William Daniell, a landscape
painter, sketched the sea stack in 1817 as a wider column with a smaller
top section and an arch at the base, from which it derived its name. A
print of this drawing is still available in local museums. Sometime in
the early 19th century, a storm washed away one of the legs leaving it
much as it is today, although erosion continues. Link Map
04. Risin og Kellingin, Faroe Islands
Photo Link
Risin og Kellingin (Risin and
Kellingin) are two sea stacks just off the northern coast of the island
of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands close to the town of Eiði. The name
Risin og Kellingin means The Giant and the Witch and relates to an old
legend about their origins. The Giant (Risin) is the 71m (233ft) stack
further from the coast, and the witch (Kellingin) is the 68m (223ft)
pointed stack nearer land, standing with her legs apart.
Photo Link
The stacks can be viewed by
walking north from Eiði then turning east towards the coast and
following the low cliffs for a short way. Other good views can be had on
a clear day from TjørnuvÃk on the island of Streymoy. Faroese
geologists predict that Kellingin, which currently stands on two legs,
will fall into the sea sometime in the next few decades during the
winter storms. Already part of the stack broke off at the beginning of
the twentieth century. Link Map
05. Ko Tapu, Thailand
Photo Link
Ko Tapu is a limestone rock about
20 metres (66 ft) tall with the diameter increasing from about 4 metres
(13 ft) near the water level to about 8 metres (26 ft) at the top. It
lies about 40 metres (130 ft) to the west from the northern part of Khao
Phing Kan (a pair of islands on the west coast of Thailand).
Photo Link
A scientific version of the Ko
Tapu formation says that the area was a barrier reef. Then, upon
tectonic movements, it ruptured, and its parts were dispersed over the
area and flooded by the rising ocean. Wind, waves, water currents and
tides gradually eroded the islands thus formed, sometimes producing
peculiar shapes, such as Ko Tapu. Tide-related erosion is visible at the
bottom of the rock. Link Map
06. Ball’s Pyramid, Australia
Photo Link
Ball's Pyramid is 20 kilometres
(12 mi) southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is 562
metres (1,844 ft) high, while measuring only 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) in
length and 300 metres (980 ft) across, making it the tallest volcanic
stack in the world. Ball's Pyramid is part of the Lord Howe Island
Marine Park.
Photo Link
In 2001, a large species of
insect commonly known as a tree lobster or Lord Howe Island stick insect
was discovered clinging to the stack eighty years after it was believed
to have gone extinct. Rats introduced to the larger islands are to
blame for the six-inch insect’s demise. Scientists captured several
insects to breed, which they finally did successfully, and may be
introduced to the mainland. Link 1 2 Map
07. Kicker Rock, Galapagos, Ecuador
Photo Link
Kicker Rock, also called the
Sleeping Lion is a rocky formation and popular dive destination on the
western side of Isla San Cristobal, the easternmost island in the
Galápagos archipelago.
Photo Link
This gigantic rock raises 500
feet (152m) straight from the ocean and represents the remains of a lava
cone, now split in two. There is a mild current that passes through the
two rocks, which attracts hammerhead and Galápagos sharks. Kicker Rock
is also home to a large colony of sea birds. Link Map
08. Old Harry Rocks, UK
Photo Link
The Old Harry Rocks are two chalk
stacks located on the Dorset coast in the south of England. The rocks
mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast. The cliffs here are mainly
made up of chalk, with some bands of flint within them.
Photo Link
The sea stacks are continuously
being eroded by the sea and are therefore an ever-changing feature. In
the 18th century, people could still walk from the mainland to Old
Harry, which is the stack at the end nearest to the sea. Link Map. Link Map
09. The Twelve Apostles, Australia
Photo Link
The Twelve Apostles is a
collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell
National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their
proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction.
Photo Link
Tourism activities (including
helicopter tours) are conducted from a visitor centre, situated on the
inland side of the Great Ocean Road; with parking and viewing areas.
Parks Victoria classifies the structure as nationally significant, with
the area being one of Victoria's major tourist features; attracting
approximately two million visitors a year. Parks Victoria was
responsible for the construction of board-walks, tracks, and viewing
areas. Link Map
10. Tri Brata, Russia
Photo Link
At the entrance of Avacha Bay
lies Tri Brata, a trio of scenic stacks which is considered a symbol of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city of Kamchatka Krai, Russia.
Photo Link
Comments
Post a Comment