Devils Marbles, the mystery explained.
- Danielle Willis
- Aug 18, 2016
- 1 min read
Every question has an answer; it’s just a case of whether the answer has been discovered. Fortunately, I have an explanation for the rather unusual large boulders that make up the ‘Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve’, and have been fortunate enough to pay it a visit.
I was heading towards Uluru for three days of action-packed adventure and so along our journey, our guide suggested we stop at ‘Devils Marbles’, a particularly unusual formation of granite boulders formed by an erupting volcano.
It is estimated that they were formed millions of years ago when an upsurge of molten rock made it to the earth’s surface, spread out and then solidified into a large solid layer. Due to a variety of weathering processes, this singular block of granite then acquired cracks and broke into many rectangular blocks.
Over many years (I’m talking a few million) erosion took place and wore away the edges of these rectangular blocks, forming the oval shaped boulders we see today.
Some of these boulders still hint at their previous rectangular shape, some you can see have their corners worn off while others are completely rounded. Each marble is slightly different, which is one of the many factors I find interesting about this reserve.
Indeed you have it, the mystery of Devils Marbles uncovered. It is one of the most widely recognised symbols of Australia’s outback, and you really can see why.
FYI they even have a cute souvenir shop, so if you’re into collectibles (like me) then I'd without a doubt stop off here.
