Uluru - Ayers Rock
 |
 |
|
1600x1200 |
| |
|
|
|
1024x768 |
| |
|
|
|
200x150 |
|
Uluru - Ayers Rock
Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is a
World Heritage Site. It is a large sandstone
formation in the southern region
of central Australia’s
Northern Territory. It is over three hundred
kilometers to the south west of the nearest
town, Alice Springs. Uluru is mostly made up
of a type of coarse-grained sandstone called
arkose. This type of sandstone has a lot of
feldspar and some conglomerate
The major features of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta
National Park are the Kata Tjuta and Uluru.
The aboriginal people, the
Yankunytjatjara and the Pitjantjatjara,
consider the Uluru and the Kata
Tjuta as sacred. Both have a
significant influence of the culture of the
natives.
Uluru has several springs, rock caves,
waterholes and ancient paintings. It is one
of the most recognizable natural formations
in Australia. It soars 348m above sea level,
but most of the rock is underground. In
circumference, Uluru measures 9.4km.
Perhaps the most distinct feature of Uluru
is that it appears to change color
throughout the day as light strikes it from
varying angles. The most remarkable is when
the rock formation glows red at sunset.
During the occasional rains, Uluru becomes
silver-gray with streaks of black, which are
actually algae that form in the channels
where water flows.
