- Monolith
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For other uses, see Monolith (disambiguation).
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are most often made of very hard and solid metamorphic or igneous rock.
The word derives from the Latin word monolithus from the Greek word μονόλιθος (monolithos), derived from μόνος ("one" or "single") and λίθος ("stone").
Contents
Geological monoliths
Large, well-known monoliths include:
Africa
Landsat 7 image Brandberg Massif, Namibia
- Lalibela, Ethiopia
- Ben Amera, Mauritania
- Brandberg Mountain, Namibia
- Aso Rock, Nigeria
- Zuma Rock, Nigeria
- Oruku, near Ososo
Antarctica
Asia
Savandurga, India from the northern side- Savandurga, India
- Bellary, India
- Madhugiri Betta, India
Sangla Hill, Pakistan- Sangla Hill, Pakistan
- Eagle Mount, Iran
Eagle Mount, Taft, IranAustralia
- Uluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia
- Pine Mountain, Victoria, Australia
- Bald Rock, near Tenterfield, New South Wales
- Mount Coolum, Queensland
- Mount Wudinna, near Wudinna, South Australia
- Kokerbin Rock, Western Australia
- Mount Chudalup, D'Entrecasteaux National Park, near Northcliffe, Western Australia
Europe
- Kalamos, Anafi, Greece
- Frau Holle Stone, near Fulda, Germany
- Humber Stone, Humberstone, near Leicester, England
- King Arthur's Stone, Cornwall, England
- Logan Rock, Trereen, Cornwall, England
- Odin Stone (Stenhouse, Orkney; destroyed in 1814)
- Peñon de Ifach Calpe, Spain
- Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
North America
United States
Beacon Rock, Washington viewed from the west- Beacon Rock, Columbia River Gorge, Washington
- Bottleneck Peak and Moon, Sids Mountain, Utah
- Chimney Rock, Bayard, Nebraska
- Courthouse and Jail Rocks, Bridgeport, Nebraska
- Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
- El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
- Enchanted Rock, Llano County, Texas
- Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California
- Haystack Rock, Clatsop County, Oregon
- Looking Glass Rock, Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska
- Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain, Georgia
- Castle Rock, Pineville, West Virginia
Canada
Stawamus Chief as seen from Valleycliffe neighborhood in Squamish- Stawamus Chief, Squamish, British Columbia
- Satsalla Peak, British Columbia
Mexico
- La Peña de Bernal, Queretaro. Claims to be the world's third largest monolith.[1][2][3][4]
- Bernal de Horcasitas, Tamaulipas.
South America
- Pedra da Gávea, Brazil the world's largest monolith on the coastline
- Pão de Açúcar, Brazil
- Torres del Paine, Chile
- El Penol, Colombia
Monumental monoliths
See also: List of ancient architectural records, List of ancient monoliths, and List of largest monoliths in the world
Gomateswara 983 CE, a Jain god, world's largest standing monolith image
Ellora Caves, temple in IndiaA structure which has been excavated as a unit from a surrounding matrix or outcropping of rock.[5]
- Stone of the Pregnant Woman, Baalbek
- Aztec calendar stone "Stone of the Sun"
- Coyolxauhqui Stone another aztec monolith
- Great Sphinx of Giza "The Egyptian Sphinx"
- Stonehenge contains several
- Ellora Caves - UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Gomateswara or Lord Bahubali at Sravanabelagola, Karnataka
- Runestones
- Stone circle
- Standing stones
- Stelae
- Obelisks - see this article for a list
- Ogham Stone, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- Adam and Eve Stones, Avebury, Wiltshire, England
- Manzanar National Historic Landmark, USA
- Vijayanagara Empire#Architecture medieval South Indian carved examples
- The Church of Saint George is a famous monolithic church in Lalibela, Ethiopia
Extraterrestrial Monoliths
Phobos Monolith- Phobos Monolith
See also
- Butte
- Megalith
- Monadnock (or inselberg)
- Monolithic architecture
- Phobos monolith
- The Monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey
Notes
- ^ López Domínguez, Leonor (May 2001). "Villa de Bernal and its Magic Mountain". México Desconocido #291. http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/contenidos/home.html?p=nota&idNota=8897.
- ^ "Peña de Bernal - Bernal - Queretaro" (in spanish). http://www.de-paseo.com/Bernal/Bernal.htm. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- ^ Cava Northrop, Laura; Dwight L. Curtis, Inc. Let'S Go, Natalie Sherman, Raul Carrillo (2007). Let's Go Mexico: On a Budget. Macmillan. p. 370. ISBN 9780312374525.
- ^ Escobar Ledesma, Agustín (1999). Recetario del semidesierto de Querétaro: Acoyos, rejalgares y tantarrias. Conaculta. p. 75. ISBN 9789701839102.
- ^ "Glossary". http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/glossary1.html#monolith.
External links
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- Regarding Uluru/Ayers Rock and earlier representations of it as the largest monolith
- GA.gov.au
- ABC.net.au
- Wayoutback.com.au
Categories:- Monoliths
- Geomorphology
- Outdoor sculptures
- Rock formations
- Rocks
- Stones
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