The Sphinx, Giza, Egypt
Nothing says power, superiority, importance, command like size. The bigger, the better when it comes to religion, government, or a combination of the two. Ancient Egypt was one of the first civilizations to demonstration the power represented in size.
Lions sunning on top of a large rock, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
As we were driving across the Serengeti, we began to see huge boulders and isolated stacks of rocks jutting from the plains. They were a stark contrast to the endless grass covered plains. The granite and gneiss outcroppings in the western Serengeti are called kopjes. They are over 550 million years old; the surrounding rock/soil through which they protrude is over 1200 million years old. The ancient stacked rocks are the result of volcanic activity. Serengeti soil is composed of volcanic rock and ash covering an older layer of metamorphic rock. The softer rocks and ash eroded, revealing the granite kopjes. The rock formations are an important part of the Serengeti’s ecosystem. They provide habitat for a plants, animals, insects, birds and reptiles. Lions often use the kopjes as vantage points to look for game and predators and as lounging areas. The kopjes pictured here is one of the simpler formations we saw.
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Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca), Sintra Municipality, Portugal
Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) is the westernmost point of mainland Portugal, continental Europe and the Eurasian land mass.
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Rock and a Hard Place
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When I was considering photos for Frank’s challenge this week, I contemplated the age-old question: What is the difference between a rock and a stone? “What?” you say with mild skepticism, “Can such a question really worth consideration?” Yes, it turns out, it can. I provide for your consideration two answers to the question at hand from GeologyWriter.Com (the post is worth a read):
In his wonderful book, Stone by Stone, Robert Thorson writes “Rock is raw material in situ. Stone usually connotes either human handling or human use, although it can also be used to describe naturally produced fragments of rock larger than a cobble.”
I turned to one of my favorite books, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), to get the fine opinion of its worthy editors. The first definition for rock is “A large rugged mass of hard mineral material or stone.” Its first use comes from Old English, dated at 950-1100. The OED defines stone as “A piece of rock or hard mineral substance of a small or moderate size,” first used in 825.
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Architecture in Nature, Giant Steps, Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, SD
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The New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect 