ELEPHANT ROCK—COMINO, MALTA On a recent boat tour in the Mediterranean Sea, I caught myself st
ELEPHANT ROCK—COMINO, MALTAOn a recent boat tour in the Mediterranean Sea, I caught myself staring at a rocky coastline, and wondered whether I had been out in the sun too long. On the northeastern coast of the tiny island of Comino, which is part of the island chain making up the nation of Malta, one will see a rock that looks remarkably like an elephant’s head leaning into the water.The unique structure was most likely formed when the limestone that makes up the islands dissolved in the presence of acidic groundwater. The rock’s chemical reaction with the acid left a weathered cove behind when the roofs of underwater caves collapsed, which is the space that makes the elephant-shaped rock jut out into the water. The pounding of the waves that hit the coast during storms also contribute to the carving of the land. This process most likely also formed the other caves that dot the coastlines of the islands that make up the nation.-Jeanne K.I took this photo in July of 2013. I hope you enjoy it!References:http://www.emwis-mt.org/documentation/context/physical%20factors_files/Geomorphology.htmhttp://dmdiving.nl/English/dive_sites_comino.htm -- source link
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