Bowling Ball Beach, Mendocino County, California, USA
© Melo Qiao/Getty Image
Rock 'n' bowl. Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Welcome to nature's bowling alley. Bowling Ball Beach on the Mendocino Coast in California, United States, is named after the striking rock formations strewn across the shore. These sandstone balls—a phenomenon known as concretions—formed over millions of years as sedimentary layers built up around a central core of sand and stone held together by mineral cements. Erosion gradually wore away the outer layers to expose the spherical shapes we see today. This created a fascinating spectacle that only appears at low tide. Concretions are rare and there has been plenty of wild speculation about where they come from, with some believing them to be extraterrestrial debris while others wondering if they are dinosaur fossils. The answer, however, is quite simple: it is the forces of nature at play.
Related Images
At the top of Mount Fuji in Japan. Happy New Year!
Full moon rising over Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven on the north-east coast of Scotland
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona, USA
Light from sunrise through a sea cave on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
Chital deer in misty grassland at dawn, Kanha National Park, India
Sandhill cranes taking flight over the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska, USA
Winter at the Isis Temple in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA
Firefall at Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Bing Today Images
