The Extraordinary Phenomenon of Romania’s “Living Rocks”
Despite humanity's efforts to search for extraterrestrial life in space, Earth remains the most "alien" place we have to deal with. Among the many fascinating mysteries of nature, one of the most incredible is that of "Living Rocks"!
It is difficult to imagine a rock capable of growing, especially because we associate the phenomenon of growth with organisms belonging to the plant and animal kingdoms, not with the mineral kingdom.
In Romania, about 35 km from Râmnicu Vâlcea, there is one of the most interesting museums in the country, a natural reserve transformed into an open-air museum, the Muzeul Trovantilor.
The exhibitions display a collection of very strange and mysterious stones called trovants. These extraordinary rocks seem to have been sculpted by a highly skilled artist.
The unique feature of these stones is that they can be considered "alive," in the sense that when they come into contact with water, they are capable of reproducing and growing, just like a living biological organism. After a heavy rain, trovants, starting from structures of 6-8 millimeters, can grow into rocks up to 6-10 meters in diameter.
Moreover, like the rocks of Death Valley in California, trovants are capable of moving from one place to another. A real puzzle for scientists! The term trovants, in Romanian, means "cemented sand," which aptly describes the shape and consistency of these rocks. Geologists believe that these extraordinary stones appeared in the area about 6 million years ago, following some powerful seismic activity.
Researchers think that the cause of the increase in the volume of the stones is due to the high concentration of mineral salts found in the mixture that forms them. When water comes into contact with these chemicals, it causes an increase in internal pressure, which leads to the characteristic growth.
However, despite the efforts of scientists, a logical explanation has not yet been found for why the rocks present branches that resemble the roots of plants, perhaps necessary to collect the water that keeps them "alive." If you try to cut one of these rocks open, you can admire characteristic concentric rings inside, much like the rings of trees.
Perhaps we are facing a new form of inorganic life. The local residents have always been aware of the trovants, but without ever paying them much attention. In fact, these astonishing rocks have often been used as construction material.
The Muzeul Trovantilor is managed by the Kogayon Association and is under the patronage of UNESCO. Once again, we can only marvel at the beauty and creativity of the Universe.
