Sunday, June 25, 2017

erratic -- a geological term

In Pyresnakes I very briefly mention erratics -- a word somewhat obscure enough that my spellchecker doesn't like it -- but in this instance it is a noun and can be made plural.

It's a heck of a big boulder that got brought somewhere out of place by the slow movement of a glacier a very long time ago and left there. When you come upon them, you stare at them and think "wow, that's big and out of place", and you realize how puny you are and how powerful nature can be.

Here are links to two interesting erratics. The photos don't do them justice in terms of scale. I've been to one of them myself and it is astounding to stand next to one and gaze upon it and realize it is solid stone and it is *massive*.

https://whitemountainsojourn.blogspot.com/2008/12/glen-boulder-famous-glacial-erratic-on.html
http://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/madison-boulder-natural-area.aspx

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