SLO
HUDIČEVE SKALE
To je zgodba o neznanih spomenikih davne preteklosti dežele Štajerske. Hudičeve skale in pečine najdemo po celi Evropi, na Štajerskem pa veljajo prav za posebna mesta, kajti tu pogosto srečujejo hudiča in druga nadnaravna bitja. To nesrečno ime jim je bilo dano v času pokristajanjevanja z namenom odvračanja od starih verovanj. Odtlej hranijo le še strah in domišljijo.
LEGENDA
Zgodbe o nastanku teh neobičajnih kamnitih struktur so si zelo podobne. Ena izmed njih pravi, da je hudič neke temne noči znosil iz reke Drave na bližnji hrib nad Kamnico velike skale. Z njimi je nameraval pokončati Kamničane, ki so se spridili in vdali neveri. Toda v trenutku, ko je dvignil prvo skalo je zapel petelin in naznanil prihajajočo luč sveta. Žarki jutranjega sonca so obsijali hudiča, ki mu je v hipu pošla vsa moč, zato je pustil skale na mestu kjer so še danes in pobegnil bog ve kam.
MEGALITSKE TVORBE
Starejši domačini pravijo, da se je Hudičevih skal od nekdaj držal sloves misterioznega nastanka in označevalca časa in prostora. Nekateri verjamejo, da se Hudičeve skale razlikujejo od naravnih skalnih formacij zaradi zanimive postavitve megalitov, ki ponazarjajo astronomsko in prostorsko matriko. Ta naj bi zajemala vse smeri neba in točke sončevega in luninega ciklusa ter ob določenih urah v dnevu projicirala nenavadne svetlobne žarke. Prav tako nekateri verjamejo, da je v Hudičevih skalah zapisano prastaro vedenje o astronomiji. Zato so posebej v prejšnjem stoletju Hudičeve skale primerjali celo s Stonehengeem. Predpostavlja se, da gre za dediščino kulture, ki je poseljevala prostor Štajerske že pred prihodom pravih poljedeljskih kultur pred 7000 leti.
Tloris prikazuje položaj Hudičevih skal v prostoru. Razporejene so v trikotniku s stranicami 16 m v smeri zahod - vzhod, 18 m v smeri vzhod - severozahod in 15 m v smeri severovzhod - jugozahod. Zelene in rumene črte potekajo preko prelomomnic, skozi katere je moč ob pravem času opazovati nenavadne svetlobne žarke.
Beseda megalit izhaja iz starogrške besede μέγας ali Megas (kar pomeni "velik") in λίθος ali lithos (kar pomeni "kamen"). Izgradnja teh objektov je potekala predvsem v prazgodovini in se nadaljevala v bakreni in bronasti dobi. Za kasnejša obdobja je bolj primeren izraz monolit. Megalit je torej velik kamen, ki so ga uporabljali za gradnjo strukture ali spomenika, bodisi sam ali skupaj z drugimi kamni brez uporabe malte ali betona.
GEOLOŠKI NASTANEK
Geologija nastanka nas uči čisto drugačno zgodbo. Drava je tu nekoč tekla mnogo višje kot danes. Prod in pesek, ki ju je odlagala na rečno dno, sta se s časoma spoprijela v kamnino konglomerat, ki je v premeru takrat merila približno 25 metrov. Ko se je reka umaknila in je kamnina razpokala ter površinsko preperela, so nastale čudovite Hudičeve skale. To se je zgodilo pred približno 15000 leti. Ležijo tesno druga ob drugi višine do 4 metre. Nekaj metrov proti severu pa se nahaja še en skalni osamelec.
KONGLOMERAT
Hudičeve skale sestavljajo miocenski konglomerati. Vsebujejo večinoma močno zaobljene prodnike, v katerih pa lahko opazimo tudi skupke kremenovih kristalčkov. Med konglomerati so tanki vložki peščenjaka in peščenega laporja.
Konglomerat je sedimentna kamnina, sestavljena iz zaobljenih fragmentov (običajno večjih od 2 mm v premeru), ki so povezani z naravnim cementom. Da nastane kompakten konglomerat je potrebnih nekaj tisoč do več miljonov let.
Erozija in transport: Proces nastanka konglomerata se začne z erozijo starejših kamnin. Fizični procesi, kot so veter, voda in led, razbijejo kamnine na manjše fragmente. Ti fragmenti, znani kot klasti, so lahko delci različnih vrst kamnin in mineralov. Ta faza lahko traja od nekaj desetletij do več tisoč let, odvisno od podnebja, vrste kamnine in intenzivnosti erozijskih procesov. Na primer, v gorskih območjih z visokimi padavinami in močnimi rečnimi tokovi je erozija lahko zelo hitra, medtem ko je v sušnih območjih počasnejša.
Zaobljenje: Vzdolž rečnega toka se klasti kotrljajo in trkajo drug v drugega. Ta proces jih naredi zaobljene. Zaobljena oblika je značilna za konglomerate in jih ločuje od breč, ki vsebujejo oglate fragmente.
Odlaganje: Klastični material se nato odloži v rečnih strugah, na deltah rek, plažah ali na morskem dnu. Odlaganje lahko poteka hitro, v nekaj letih ali desetletjih, vendar se proces lahko ponavlja skozi geološke dobe, kar pomeni, da lahko traja tudi več tisoč let, da se oblikujejo dovolj debele plasti sedimentov.
Kompakcija: Po odlaganju se sloji sedimentov kopičijo in pritisk narašča. Povečani pritisk nad sloji sedimentov povzroči kompaktiranje spodnjih slojev, kar zmanjšuje prostor med klasti.
Cementacija: Med ali po kompaktiranju mineralne raztopine, ki krožijo skozi pore med klasti, precipitirajo minerale, kot so kalcit, kremen ali hematit. Ti minerali delujejo kot cement, ki veže klaste skupaj in spreminja sediment v trdno kamnino. Ko so sedimenti odloženi, lahko kompaktiranje in cementacija traja od nekaj tisoč do nekaj milijonov let. Ta proces je odvisen od globine zakopavanja, temperature, prisotnosti mineralnih raztopin in drugih geoloških dejavnikov.
KAMNITI OSAMELEC
Kamniti osamelec je izraz, ki se uporablja za opisovanje naravne kamnite strukture ali formacije, ki je izolirana od večje kamnine ali gorovja. Ta geološki pojav je pogosto posledica procesov erozije in preperevanja, ki odstranjujejo mehkejše materiale okoli trdnejših kamnitih struktur, tako da ostanejo samostojne, izpostavljene kamnine.
Erozija in preperevanje: Ko so se konglomerati dodobra sprijeli med seboj in se je Drava odmaknila s pobočja globje v dolino, je s tem odstranjevala okoliški material, mehkejše kamnine, medtem ko so konglomerati ostali.
Izolacija: Po odstranitvi okoliškega materiala so se Hudičeve skale pojavile kot izolirane, spektakularne formacije, ki se dvigajo nad okoliško pokrajino.
NALOGE ZA VPIS GEOZAKLADA
Odgovore pošljite preko GC profila. Zaklad lahko brez čakanja na povratne informacije logirate. V primeru napačnega ali pomanjkljivega odgovora vas informiram. Vpisi ne smejo vsebovati odgovorov na vprašanja, prav tako pa ne smejo biti vpisani brez vnaprej poslanih odgovorov. Takšni odgovori bodo nemudoma izbrisani.
- Pobližje si poglej fragmente v kamnini. Kakšne barve so in kako veliki so? Bi skale na podlagi oblike fragmentov uvrstil med konglomerate ali med breče? Zakaj?
- Povzpni se na kamnite tvorbe. Opaziš lahko, da je površina na vrhu nekaterih skal ravna. Kateri dejavniki so po tvojem mnenju povzročili takšno formacijo?
- Sprehodi se do skalnega osamelca na severu. V čem se razlikuje od drugih kamnitih tvorb? Kako misliš, da se je odmaknil od svojih bratov?
- NEOBVEZNO! K vpisu priložite sliko sebe ali listka z vašim GC imenom in datumom obiska. Če boste zaklad obiskali ob zimskem ali spomladanskem solsticiju, ujemite pravi trenutek in posnamite čudovito fotografijo.
ENG
DEVIL'S ROCKS
This is the story of unknown monuments from the distant past of the Štajerska region. Devil's rocks and cliffs can be found all over Europe, but in Štajerska region, they are considered particularly special places because here, people often encounter the devil and other supernatural beings. This unfortunate name was given during the Christianization period to deter people from old beliefs. Since then, they have only held fear and imagination.
LEGEND
The stories about the formation of these unusual stone structures are very similar. One of them says that on a dark night, the devil carried large rocks from the Drava River to a nearby hill above Kamnica. He intended to destroy the people of Kamnica, who had become corrupt and given in to disbelief. But at the moment he lifted the first rock, a rooster crowed, announcing the coming light of the world. The rays of the morning sun shone on the devil, instantly draining all his power, so he left the rocks where they still stand today and fled to who knows where.
MEGALITHIC FORMATIONS
Older locals say that the Devil's Rocks have always had a reputation for mysterious origins and as markers of time and space. Some believe that the Devil's Rocks differ from natural rock formations due to the interesting arrangement of the megaliths, which represent an astronomical and spatial matrix. This is said to encompass all directions of the sky and the points of the sun and moon cycles, and at certain times of the day, project unusual light rays. Some also believe that ancient knowledge of astronomy is encoded in the Devil's Rocks. Thus, especially in the last century, the Devil's Rocks were even compared to Stonehenge. It is assumed that they are the legacy of a culture that inhabited the Štajerska region before the arrival of true agricultural cultures about 7,000 years ago.
The floor plan shows the position of the Devil's Rocks in space. They are arranged in a triangle with sides 16 meters in the west-east direction, 18 meters in the east-northwest direction, and 15 meters in the northeast-southwest direction. Green and yellow lines run across the fault lines, through which unusual light rays can be observed at the right time.
The word megalith comes from the ancient Greek words μέγας or megas (meaning "big") and λίθος or lithos (meaning "stone"). The construction of these objects mainly took place in prehistoric times and continued into the Copper and Bronze Ages. For later periods, the term monolith is more appropriate. A megalith is therefore a large stone used to build a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones without the use of mortar or concrete.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS
Geology teaches us a very different story about the origin of this place. The Drava River once flowed much higher than it does today. The gravel and sand it deposited on the riverbed gradually cemented into conglomerate rock, which at the time measured approximately 25 meters in diameter. As the river receded and the rock cracked and weathered on the surface, the magnificent Devil's Rocks were formed. This happened around 15,000 years ago. These rocks stand close to each other, reaching heights of up to 4 meters. A few meters to the north, there is another solitary rock formation.
CONGLOMERATE
The Devil's Rocks are composed of Miocene conglomerates. They primarily contain well-rounded pebbles, but clusters of quartz crystals can also be observed within them. Between the conglomerates, there are thin layers of sandstone and sandy marl.
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock composed of rounded fragments (usually larger than 2 mm in diameter) bound together by natural cement. It takes a few thousand to several million years to form a compact conglomerate.
Erosion and Transport: The formation process of conglomerate begins with the erosion of older rocks. Physical processes like wind, water, and ice break rocks into smaller fragments. These fragments, known as clasts, can be particles of various types of rocks and minerals. This phase can last from a few decades to several thousand years, depending on the climate, type of rock, and intensity of erosion processes. For example, in mountainous areas with high rainfall and strong river currents, erosion can be very rapid, while in arid areas, it is slower.
Rounding: Along the river course, clasts roll and collide with each other. This process rounds them. The rounded shape is characteristic of conglomerates and distinguishes them from breccias, which contain angular fragments.
Deposition: The clastic material is then deposited in riverbeds, river deltas, beaches, or on the sea floor. Deposition can occur quickly, in a few years or decades, but the process can repeat through geological ages, meaning it can take several thousand years to form thick layers of sediment.
Compaction: After deposition, sediment layers accumulate, and pressure increases. The increased pressure over the sediment layers causes compaction of the lower layers, reducing the space between clasts.
Cementation: During or after compaction, mineral solutions circulating through the pores between clasts precipitate minerals such as calcite, quartz, or hematite. These minerals act as cement, binding the clasts together and turning the sediment into solid rock. Once the sediments are deposited, compaction and cementation can take from a few thousand to a few million years. This process depends on the depth of burial, temperature, presence of mineral solutions, and other geological factors.
ROCK OUTCROP
A rock outcrop is a term used to describe a natural rock structure or formation that is isolated from a larger rock mass or mountain range. This geological phenomenon is often the result of erosion and weathering processes that remove softer materials around harder rock structures, leaving isolated, exposed rocks.
Erosion and Weathering: Once the conglomerates have firmly bonded together and the Drava River has retreated from the slope deeper into the valley, it removed the surrounding material, the softer rocks, while the conglomerates remained.
Isolation: After the removal of the surrounding material, the Devil's Rocks emerged as isolated, spectacular formations rising above the surrounding landscape.
TASKS TO LOG AN EARTHCACHE
Send your answers through GC profile. You can log the cache without waiting for feedback. In the event of an incorrect or incomplete answers, I will inform you. Logs with answers will be deleted immediately.
- Take a closer look at the fragments in the rock. What color are they and how large are they? Based on the shape of the fragments, would you classify the rocks as conglomerates or breccias? Why?
- You can notice that the surface on top of some rocks is flat. Which factors, in your opinion, caused this formation?
- Walk over to the solitary rock formation to the north. How does it differ from the other rock formations? How do you think it became separated from its "brothers"?
- OPTIONAL! Attach a picture of yourself or an object with your GC name and the date of your visit. If you visit the cache during the winter or spring solstice, capture the right moment and take a beautiful photo.