A mystery on the Aran Islands off the Irish West Coast has finally been solved by one of the world’s top geologists.
Something had picked up massive boulders off a beach and propelled them over high cliffs to a flat landscape beyond. The largest of these boulders weighed about 78 tons, and they now lie some 40 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Smaller boulders, weighing about 4 tons each, lie more than 820 feet inland.
"The local people say that these rocks are moving," said geologist Ronadh Cox, a professor of geosciences and chairwoman of the maritime studies program at Williams College in Massachusetts.
The mystery of how they got there has finally been solved.
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The most likely culprit, a tsunami hasn't hit Ireland since 1755, when a magnitude 8.7 earthquake in Portugal sent tidal waves across the ocean to Ireland.
By dating the rocks they proved that some arrived on land thrown up from the ocean 2,000 years ago, but others arrived less than 50 years ago,a key piece of evidence that leaves powerful storm waves holding the smoking gun, Cox said.
A local man provided much needed evidence when he recalled a ferocious storm in 1991 that deposited massive boulders from the sea bed up a cliff and hundreds of feet away
Cox hunted through Irish government data and found that in the winter of 1991,a particularly ferocious storm did indeed hit the area. "
She said the mystery was solved and the ocean’s power is truly astonishing "The waves can just climb these cliffs in amazing ways," she said.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.aoibhinn | Nov 14, 2011, 05:36 AM EST
you guys! 8-D
roibaird | Nov 09, 2011, 08:43 PM EST
Mind you-------she had 4 seaman grandchilder lol And I was one of them lol
roibaird | Nov 09, 2011, 08:41 PM EST
and my ould granny.living on the coast, always said during a storm God hep the poor ould sailors on a night like this !
Towngate | Nov 09, 2011, 06:51 PM EST
STOP PRESS! Atlantic storm waves wash boulders ashore! Duh! >>> A Garda Spokesman said: "Deh waves was seen climin' de cliffs! - We is thryin' to locate the person who lent thim the Crampons!"
seanomelbourne | Nov 09, 2011, 04:29 PM EST
Does iaprincess think god was getting his rocks off.
bogsidebunny | Nov 09, 2011, 04:09 PM EST
Mother Nature getting her "rocks" off!
ciarajoyce | Nov 09, 2011, 01:15 PM EST
People who think they can tame "mother nature" (or whatever you choose to call it) need to read this and look at the rocks. We mess with the natural power of earth at our peril.
sidhemajik | Nov 09, 2011, 01:09 PM EST
To quote Dr. Who, "Water always wins."
Scrivner | Nov 09, 2011, 12:25 PM EST
A prudent warning not to have a beach house.
CaptainCon | Nov 09, 2011, 11:46 AM EST
Never underestimate the power of rock n'roll.
cillowen | Nov 09, 2011, 10:48 AM EST
Fear (Mother Nature/God ) explains everything for man.
IAPRINCESS | Nov 09, 2011, 10:24 AM EST
Nature (GOD) never ceases to amaze me.