A valley full of rocks of various sizes, some as large as a vehicle and some as small as a few centimeters. This is the situation we see in Kazakhstan’s Torysh Valley, which is part of Russian territory. The root of these unusual rocks has been a great mystery for geologists and scientists all over the world.
Rocks that seem to have been dropped from the sky
When we first see this mysterious landscape, we are struck by the sight of hundreds of spherical rocks that seem to have fallen from the sky, as if after a recent storm.
The locals have a legend that they were once attacked by hordes of enemies. The people prayed to the gods for assistance, and the sky opened up with a torrential downpour, thunder, and lightning, gradually turning the rain into these bricks.
It is possible to see an entire valley filled with these massive spherical rocks that look like giant eggs in the Mangystau region of southwestern Kazakhstan. So what do the analysts have to say on where it came from?
According to geologists and other experts on the subject, these rock formations are true geological marvels. These stones are thought to have been part of the site from the Middle Jurassic to the early Cretaceous, about 180 million years ago.
Various natural occurrences may have converged at such an early stage to produce these rare rocks. They are now thought to be made of silicate or carbonate cement.
Others argue that these strange stone spheres were created by primitive people with sophisticated technologies, and that they may be a remnant of a highly evolved c̳i̳v̳i̳l̳i̳z̳a̳t̳i̳o̳n̳’s mode of transportation.
What experts have to say
The majority of scientists who have studied the Torysh Valley rocks have concluded that they are massive concretions. Concretion is the deposition of compounds carried in solution by water on a porous rock in geology. This rock acts as a heart, with layers of different natural elements accumulating on top of it.
The transported elements stay bound to the rock due to the steady streaming of mineral-laden water through it. It’s also in charge of giving the new rock formation its distinctive rounded shape, which can be sub-spherical or ellipsoidal.
‘Natural’ formations that never fail to astonish.
The concretion mechanism that gave these incredible rocks their form had to take thousands of years. The effect is massive spherical stones that are often mistaken for fossilized skeletons, turtle shells, and even a̳l̳i̳e̳n̳-made artificial constructs.
Some have speculated that these massive rocks are relics from A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ advanced cultures due to their unusual appearance. Could they be man-made, or are they the product of natural elements colliding with the passage of time? It’s a tough problem to tackle.
These spherical rocks are often made of limestone and sandstone, according to what is known. Both materials are natural gas and oil deposits, which are abundant in Kazakhstan’s western region. During the Mesozoic period, they were deposited in a shallow marine climate.
Why are some so big and others tiny?
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Torysh Valley’s spherical rocks is the range of sizes, from very large to very small. While the cause of the differences is unknown, it is understood that big rocks appear to grow under the earth.
In reality, some rocks can still be seen lodged in the soil, waiting to be released by erosion. Tiny rocks, on the other hand, are thought to have evolved at higher depths.
Spherical rocks in other parts of the planet
Concretions are found all over the world, not just in this area. Rock formations with identical features can also be found in other parts of the world. This is the case in some parts of Siberia, as well as California’s coasts and deserts.
Miners in Siberia discovered the concretions while working in the coal mines. Workers will remove the spherical rocks and place them in a public display area. They also did not waste time attempting to smash them because they are very hard and wide.
They can be found in Bowling Ball Beach and the Colorado desert near the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in the United States. Natural processes behaved similarly on porous rock cores, giving them this unique shape.
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