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How did the Moeraki Boulders form?

These unusual rocks have long been a source of intrigue. Here is what we know about the creation of the Moeraki Boulders in New Zealand. Spoiler alert: They are not alien eggs. 👽

Strange, spherical boulders scattered on the sand…

On this beach located in New Zealand, these unusual rocks, measuring between 50 cm and 2 meters in diameter and weighing up to several tons, have long been a source of intrigue. Fossilized dinosaur eggs, relics of Maori ancestors, the work of extraterrestrials…

They have inspired many legends. But science has finally solved the mystery: the formation of these rocks began approximately 60 million years ago. Fossilized clay and mud are found in the center, around which sediments such as calcite have accumulated. One layer at a time, the boulders grew larger over the years. The concept is similar to the formation of an oyster pearl. Several hypotheses that may explain the spherical shape of these rocks exist, such as tidal action, gravity, and the pressure that the layers of sediment exert on each other. These are the Moeraki Boulders, one of the most iconic landscapes in New Zealand.

Brut.

01/15/2020 8:01 AM

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81 comments

  • Hilana S.
    07/16/2020 17:31

    ....is dit naby julle?

  • Rudi R.
    05/14/2020 20:07

    Been there =) twice!!

  • Alyx E.
    05/04/2020 22:25

    Supposedly trolls used these to fight other trolls

  • Kirsten B.
    04/23/2020 16:57

    , remember these?!

  • Vanessa G.
    04/22/2020 20:49

    😍😍

  • Terry Y.
    04/22/2020 12:51

    been there !!!!

  • Jack H.
    04/21/2020 16:38

    They are fossilized ball joint from hip and shoulder of large creatures of some kind.

  • Gary F.
    04/21/2020 02:22

    10 points for using “hypothesis” not “theory”!

  • Paul M.
    04/20/2020 06:06

    obsidian bombs from a volcano

  • Dipankar G.
    04/19/2020 22:02

    Aliens egg

  • Bettie S.
    04/19/2020 13:49

    Baie interessant!!

  • Ashis C.
    04/19/2020 09:44

    May be asteroids of fire balls.

  • Laura H.
    04/19/2020 08:41

    Volcanic maybe

  • Rajeev S.
    04/19/2020 07:40

    They were used as Defense mechanism in past. But not sure, just a guess

  • Nicholas C.
    04/18/2020 15:56

    Nice

  • Robert C.
    04/18/2020 14:16

    At 7000 feet on a level prairie at the foot hills.

  • Julius K.
    04/18/2020 14:13

    nahhh, they're alien turds

  • Mafe G.
    04/18/2020 13:06

    😯

  • Canini A.
    04/18/2020 11:44

    Spettacolo🌈

  • Jeff A.
    04/18/2020 10:29

    And the beach sands never grow up lmao