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World’s most bizarre rock formation has oddly perfect split down the middle that’s still unexplained

Home> News

Published 14:27 12 Apr 2023 GMT+1

World’s most bizarre rock formation has oddly perfect split down the middle that’s still unexplained

Al Naslaa rock formation in Saudi Arabia has been mystifying people for generations, and we still don't fully understand what caused it

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

In the deserts of Saudi Arabia, a part of the world that is steeped in history, there is a mysterious rock formation that is amongst the most unusual and interesting in the entire world.

It’s called the Al Naslaa rock formation, and as well as being of special geological interest, it also offers an insight into the past.

The first thing you’ll notice about it – if you’re looking properly anyway – is that there’s an almost perfectly straight split carved right down the centre of it.

No, that’s not from some sort of human quarrying, nor is it the work of some conceptual artist or other, left in the deserts to be eroded by the sand.

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It’s completely natural, and it’s that natural erosion that could have caused it to be the way that it is.

Al Naslaa in Saudi Arabia.
Disdero/Wikimedia Commons

The simple truth – however – is that nobody actually knows for certain how that crack was formed.

Alongside the split running straight down the large rock, there are ancient petroglyphs, depicting animals and other shapes, showing evidence that the rock formation has been observed by many people throughout the generations.

Presumably, they were equally as fascinated with how it formed, though they may not have had the scientific information that we have nowadays.

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The split goes straight down through the middle of the rock, before the gap widens to a couple of pedestals at the bottom, upon which the whole thing is balanced.

No-one fully knows how it was made.
Arabian Rock Art Heritage

The two boulders are six metres high – that’s about 20 feet – and never touch at any point visible above ground.

So, what are the theories behind how it was created?

Sedimentary rocks erode at different rates based upon which layer is being exposed, which you can also see in places like Monument Valley in the United States.

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As the sediment is eroded away, it can leave pedestal-like structures, as well as creating strange formations that appear as if they are about to collapse. Of course, as is the nature of time and erosion, one day they will.

Petroglyphs are next to the crack in the rock.
Disdero/Wikimedia Commons

Another theory – which is questionable but definitely possible – could be a joint or fracture in the rock.

As we’ve already mentioned, this rock formation will one day go the way of many others around the world – including the UK’s Durdle Door recently – and crumble away, falling to pieces.

Still, whilst we’ve got them, it’s worth enjoying them, as nature is capable of creating some pretty weird stuff, all by itself.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/@OnPoint TV / Disdero / Wikimedia Commons

Topics: World News, Science, Weird

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

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@TPWagwim

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