Rocks formations and the Dedo de Deus (God's Finger) peak in the background, Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
Raouché or Pigeons' Rock in Beirut, Lebanon
View of Meteora, Greece
Rock formations in Ongamira Valley, Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina
"Jaws", an erosional fin in Little Finland, Nevada, US
"Hajdučka vrata" on Čvrsnica, Herzegovina

A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term rock formation can also refer to specific sedimentary strata or other rock unit in stratigraphic and petrologic studies.

A rock structure can be created in any rock type or combination:

  • Igneous rocks are created when molten rock cools and solidifies, with or without crystallisation. They may be either plutonic bodies or volcanic extrusive. Again, erosive forces sculpt their current forms.
  • Metamorphic rocks are created by rocks that have been transformed into another kind of rock, usually by some combination of heat, pressure, and chemical alteration.
  • Sedimentary rocks are created by a variety of processes but usually involving deposition, grain by grain, layer by layer, in water or, in the case of terrestrial sediments, on land through the action of wind or sometimes moving ice. Erosion later exposes them in their current form.

Geologists have created a number of terms to describe different rock structures in the landscape that can be formed by natural processes:

Here is a list of rock formations by continent.

Asia

Armenia

China

Hong Kong

Jordan

India

Palestine

Lebanon

Mongolia

Pakistan

Thailand

Turkey

Other countries

Africa

Kenya

Libya

Madagascar

Mauritania

Namibia

Nigeria

South Africa

North America

United States

Canada

Caribbean

Mexico

Central America

  • Bosque del Cabo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
  • Los Ladrillos, Boquete, Panama[2]

South America

Argentina

Bolivia

  • Dali's Desert, Potosi
  • Valle de Las Rocas, Uyuni
  • Canon de Duene

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Falkland Islands

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

  • La Piedra Pintada, Parque Congreso de Abril

Venezuela

Europe

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

A view of the Wonderful Bridges, Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

  • Teplice nad Metují
  • Medvědí Stezka (Bear's path), Šumava mountains, Klatovy
  • Vraní skála, Brdy
  • Suché skály, Turnov
  • Hruboskalsko

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Lange Anna

Germany

Meteora with Greek Orthodox monasteries

Greece

Gibraltar

The iconic Rock of Gibraltar

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Pietra di Bismantova, Italy

Latvia

  • Vidzeme
  • Pusena Kalns, Bartava

North Macedonia

Malta

Isle of Man

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

The collapsed Bride's Cave (Salt Mountain) from Slănic, Romania

Russia

Serbia

Vratna Gates natural stone bridges in Serbia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Slovakia

Gotická brána, Sulov rocks, Slovakia

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Oceania

Talava arches, Niue

Australia

Uluru, Australia

New Zealand

Castle Hill, New Zealand

Other countries

See also

References

  1. "Olumo Rock - A Nigerian Tourist Destination". www.olumorock.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  2. "Escalando el Gunko de Boquete" (in Spanish). El Chiricano. 2007-06-04.
  3. "Stânca Babacai (de aici incepe Clisura de sus)". wikimapia.org. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  4. "Красноярские Столбы". www.stolby.ru. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  5. The Djavolja Varos (Devil's Town) Natural Landmark, UNESCO World Heritage
  6. "Vodopad Prskalo" (in Serbian). FreeBiking.org.
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