Amazing rock formation that can be easily bent by hand (7 photos)

Despite the fact that humanity has a sense of its own power over nature, far from all the mysteries of the surrounding peace. As, for example, the secret of the essence of this breed is itacolumita.





Flexibility is not characteristic of stones. It is a fact. But ithacolumite refutes this assertion. Under certain conditions, this rock can be bent by hand. And do it without much effort.



ithacolumite

The breed was first discovered in Brazil. Nothing similar in hand no one has come across before. The name of the fossil was given by the famous naturalist and traveler Alexander von Humboldt.





Subsequently, it became clear that itacolumite is not so rare. And it can be found in other places, in particular, some US states. The breed is quite successfully used as building material, making from it blanks about 20 cm long and 1 cm thick. They are well suited for facing various surfaces.



But this porous sandstone has one amazing characteristic. The researchers noticed this moment almost immediately after the discovery of itacolumite, in connection with which they even called it elastic stone. If the rock is cut into bars a few centimeters thick, then they can easily be bent by hand.



In the process of studying the breed, a simple experiment was carried out: a strip itacolumita, about half a meter long, was simply held at both ends hands, as a result of which she began to gradually bend under her own weight, taking the shape of a horseshoe. And if the structure is rotated, then it straighten up, and then bend again, but in the opposite direction.



For more than a decade, scientists from various fields have been racking their brains over the mysterious properties of this flexible breed. That is, she is like stone, but at the same time demonstrates completely uncharacteristic of the stone characteristics.



There are so far only versions explaining this feature. Main of which explains the ability to easily take a given shape porosity. Thanks to this quality, interstitial, i.e. intermediate movement. And particles of sand at the same time retain connection with each other due to a specific type of clutch, reminiscent of hinges. But this is only a hypothesis. Accurate evidence to explain the ability of this stone to bend and take its original shape, while have not been found yet.