Irish Whodunit: The Mystery of the Moving Boulders

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On a trio of tiny islands off Ireland's western coast, there is a mystery afoot. Something has picked up massive boulders and set them down inland, on a flat, wind-lashed landscape encircled by craggy cliffs that rise from the Atlantic Ocean.

Strewn along the haunting, rugged coastlines of the Aran Islands, the rocks were ripped from the faces of the surrounding cliffs below. Some originate from beneath the ocean's surface. The largest of these boulders weigh about 78 tons, and lie some 40 feet (12 meters) above the reach of the sea. Smaller boulders, weighing about 3 or 4 tons each, lie more than 820 feet (250 m) inland.

"The local people say that these rocks are moving," said geologist Ronadh Cox, a professor of geosciences and chairwoman of the maritime studies program at Williams College in Massachusetts.

So what unseen hand is capable of tossing such heavy boulders so far inland?

Cox said that she and some of her students have uncovered the answer, thanks to some man-made rock walls, some high-tech tools, a species of tiny clam, and maps made more than a century ago. The team presented work at the recent Geological Society of America annual meeting held in Minneapolis, and have submitted the research for publication.

Ohh, a mystery?

Even if their research paper is right and they have the answer it is still quite amazing that these boulders are moving as they do. Tsunamis could explain some movement, but if they are continuously moving I think that would rule it out.

I saw this story and found it interesting so I thought I would share it with all of you and get your opinions on the matter.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

I hope this helps in some way,

www.castlekirk.co.uk...

It seems powerful storm waves are the main culprit.
It would be interesting to see the maths behind the
forces needed to achieve these monstrous feats, and
the breakdown of the energy contained within these thunderous waves.
I live near the west coast of Ireland, and you do see
some mighty storms, but it is obviously rare indeed to
encounter a storm with the required ferocity to
produce such grand scale catapulting.

Who fore the rocker?

Unfortunately, I think this is another case of a good mystery being ruined by a more banal explanation. I believe that the conclusion of the research was probably correct.

If you've ever been to the west coast of Ireland, then you'll know just how huge these storms are there. While it sounds a bit strange that a few boulders are being swept inland, the time-frame is actually quite long between the movement, and it needs re-iterating just how monstrous these storms can be in that part of Ireland !