One of the most recognizable and iconic landmarks in the world is Uluru, a sandstone rock formation that rises to a height of more than 1,000 feet above the surrounding desert landscape in the central part of Australia. The geological history of the monolith started hundreds of millions of years ago when sand eroded from nearby mountain ranges and was deposited as an alluvial fan in adjacent plains. The plains were then covered by a sea. The water and the deposition of additional sediments created pressures that turned the sand of the alluvial fan into rock. When the sea disappeared and the landscape was uplifted, folded and eroded, the sandstone rock proved more resistant to erosion than the surrounding sediments creating the rock formation we see today. The many bands in the formation attest to its sedimentary past. The monolith is an awe inspiring site because it protrudes sharply out of the land, and is one of the few landmarks visible for miles and miles of flat dessert. But it’s not only its presence, but also its shape and color that are remarkable. The curved steep slopes of the monolith contain many potholes, cracks, caves, and other formations sculpted by wind and water. The Uluru sandstone also has minerals that contain iron oxides which reflect sunlight in startling shades of yellow, orange, and red at dawn or dusk. Evidence of the presence of humans in the area goes back 30,000 years. Uluru is a sacred place to the local aboriginal people, and in several areas around the rock there are petroglyphs that bear witness to its historic, cultural, and religious importance. Uluru and other such sites in the Australian outback are a central part of The Dreaming, which is a set of aboriginal stories that encompass creation, philosophy, morality, and law.
The photographs are property of the author and can only be used with permission.
2 Comments
4/19/2021 02:26:12 pm
Greetings. I am teaching first graders in Pennsylvania, U.S., about Australia this spring (2021). We started with the aboriginal animals, and we are moving through geography and on to the Australian Aboriginal peoples. Although I have many activities that I do with the students (all girls), I organize my course with a Google slides presentation. Your pictures are impressive and I am hoping that I can use a couple of them in my slides. I am not creating a course to be sold or used for profit in any way. I hope that I could have permission to add them to my program. Thank you for considering this request.
Reply
Rolando Garcia
5/3/2021 04:40:16 pm
Thanks for your comment, Paul, and sorry for the late reply. I sent you an e-mail.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Categories
All
Archives
January 2023
|