Thursday, January 17, 2013

Geology and Aruba


Every island has a story, and one of the more interesting stories of Aruba is its natural and geological history.  Aruba was formed from an undersea eruption 95 million years ago.  As the lava rose to the water's surface it mixed with sediments and formed Aruba.  Then 10 million years later more volcanic activity began underneath Aruba, and this activity lead to the formation of batholiths.  As the initial lava cover began to slowly erode the batholiths were exposed to the naked eye.  There are various types of batholiths scattered throughout Aruba, and these include tonalite and hooibergite batholiths.

Tourists can visit Hooiberg, which is a 165 meter tall hooibergite formation almost in the dead center of Aruba.  There are 562 steps that ascend to the summit of Hooiberg, and from the top the tourist is offered incredible views of Aruba.  On a clear day one can even see Venezuela.  The only other places on Earth where hooibergite has surfaced are Canada and Iceland.  Many geological formations can be viewed in Aruba's Arikok National Park, and on the coastline of Arikok National Park is a marine terrace that formed about 1.5 million years ago.  This marine terrace was formed as the Earth pushed the island higher above sea level, and the exposed reefs and seabed fossilized.  Aruba is actually made up of three different levels of marine terrace, and along the coast a number of karst caves.

There are many reasons to visit Aruba, and once you've gotten there you shouldn't overlook the natural beauty that surrounds you.  There are numerous geological formations that have developed over millions of years, and they contribute to the truly incredible scenery that makes up the Aruban landscape.

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