Image source: http://www.odditycentral.com
The Trovants is a strange formation of rocks found in Costesti village in Romania. The term ‘Trovan’ is a synonym for the German term “Sandsteinkonkretionen” which means ‘cemented sand’. Trovants consist of a stone core with an outer shell of sand. They have varying shapes like spherical, elliptical, or even resemble a figure of 8 and they vary in size from a few centimetres to few meters. They are believed to have appeared on earth about six million years ago, following a powerful earthquake. They are unique and strange in that they seem to be alive as they continue to grow when they come in contact with water and are even said to move from one place to another without assistance.
Image source: http://www.dogonews.com
Actually, after a good rainfall, as soon as the last drop dries out, small formations start bulging from the sides of these rocks as if they would have come to life and must be reproducing. But the fact is they grow such that even the small rocks of about 6-8 millimetres could grow up to 6-10 meters. This is not it. As they get larger, they tend to split from their ‘mother rock’ and continue to grow independently. When cut horizontally, they reveal circular growth rings that are similar to ones found in the cross section of tree trunks.
Image source: http://www.odditycentral.com
Many theories have been put forth to explain the strange behaviour of the Trovants. According to the most widely accepted theory, the growth is caused by the high mineral content present under the shell of the rocks that spreads on coming in contact with water and pressurizes the sand to expand. This makes the stones ‘grow’.
Image source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com
Trovants are now the main attraction at the Museum Trovanti, covering an open-air museum with the area of 1.1 hectare in Romania and protected by UNESCO.
Sources: odditycentral.com, trussty-jasmine.blogspot.in, dreamstime.com, atlasobscura.com, dogonews.com, coolweirdo.com, infooid.com
No comments:
Post a Comment