Mushroom Stone

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Mushroom stones, or wave stones, are limestone boulders undercut by water. These take the form of solitary sentinels of limestone which still bear the unmistakable marks of long-continued erosion by lapping waves at the edge of lakes which have since vanished or retreated. These stone sentinels are sometimes shaped like mushrooms. others have an overhang facing in just one direction, but all are notched and undercut in such a fashion as to suggest prolonged exposure to standing water at some time in the past.

The Stone Mushrooms is a rock phenomenon near Beli Plast village in Bulgaria, on the road between Haskovo and Kardzhali. They are about 2.5 metres tall. The 3 hectares area is declared on May 13, 1974 according to a bill of the Ministry of Environment and Water. Interesting kinds of birds can be observed in the area: Short-Toed Eagle, Egyptian_Vulture, Red-rumped_Swallow, Black-eared_Wheatear etc.

The mushroom stone is a geological formation. a series of gigantic, top-heavy rocks that rose from the desert wasteland. Giant humanoid faces appear on some of the formations which is thought to have been the result of wind erosion, although some speculate they were created by alien hands. This feature of a mushroom rock is a result of differential weathering and erosion of two different rock layers. Mushroom rocks are more common in arid regions.

Wind erosion in the desert takes two forms: abrasion and deflation. Sand abrasion is most prevalent within the first three feet of the ground and tends to form mushroom rocks and desert pavement. During dust storms, dust sized particles may be lifted into the air causing blow-outs (shallow depressions). A rock pedestal is a mushroom-shaped rock, often formed of horizontal layers. It is caused by sand being driven into its base by the wind.

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