One of the boulder formations at the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, called Karlu Karlu by the Kaytetye.

The Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve contains formations of naturally rounded and oval boulders called Karlu Karlu by the local Aborigines. The area is located near Wauchope, 114km south of Tennant Creek in Australia's Northern Territory. The boulders are located in a traditional Aboriginal sacred site and are important to the local Aboriginal people. The Kaytetye people believe that the boulders are the eggs of the rainbow serpent. Over time, the ceremonies and stories related to the Devils Marbles have largely been lost, but the site is still very important to the tribe and may be considered to be among the oldest religious sites in the world. The Reserve is accessible all year round and has a network of pathways with information boards and a basic camping area. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 700 × 459 pixelsFull resolution (700 × 459 pixel, file size: 95 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tennant Creek, Northern Territory ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 700 × 459 pixelsFull resolution (700 × 459 pixel, file size: 95 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tennant Creek, Northern Territory ... One of the boulder formations of Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles), a sacred Dreaming site for Kaytetye. ... Boulder In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm (10 inches) diameter. ... Languages Several hundred indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous... Tennant Creek is a town located in the Northern Territory of Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $10,418 (8th)  - Product... Languages Several hundred indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous... One of the boulder formations of Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles), a sacred Dreaming site for Kaytetye. ... The Rainbow Serpent/Snake is a major mythological being for Aboriginal people across Australia, although the creation stories associated with it are best known from northern Australia. ...

There is sometimes some confusion about the correct spelling. In Australia, no apostrophes are used when referring to geographical names. However, when referring to the rocks themselves, and not to the reserve, an apostrophe should be used. Therefore: the Devil's Marbles are located in the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve.

Formation

The Devils Marbles are made of granite, which surfaces like a little geological island in the desert, surrounded by incredible amounts of sandstone. The granite is thought to be formed about 1.7 billion years ago as a result of the hardening of magma within the earth's crust. Thick layers of sandstone on top of it put a lot of pressure on this granite. After the folding of the earth's crust, which lead to the lifting of the granite, and the erosion of the sandstone the granite came to surface. The pressure was gone which caused the granite to be able to expand; cracks formed, and it fell apart in big, square blocks. Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... For the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity, see desertion. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... Billion may mean: 1,000,000,000 (one thousand million; ), used by most English-speaking countries (American and usual modern British meaning) 1,000,000,000,000 (one million million; ), used by most other countries outside Asia (older British meaning). ... Magma is molten rock located beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other terrestrial planet), and which often collects in a magma chamber. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of ocean currents, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement...

Solarisation splits the rocks in half

The second phase of the formation of the Marbles started when these blocks got exposed to water. The surface of the blocks began to decay under the influence of the water, and a layer of loose material surrounded the individual blocks. When they came to the surface completely, this layer was flushed away by water and blown away by wind. The next phase of decay had started now. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The roundening of the granite blocks is a result of both chemical and mechanical weathering. Firstly, exfoliation plays a part. Chemical processes cause the surface of the blocks to expand and/or shrink. Thin layers of rock come off the boulder. This rounds the granite block, because the chemical processes have more effect on areas with edges. These processes cause the rock to look like it is made of layers like an onion. In effect, only the outer few centimeters are affected by chemical weathering. This process is called spheroidal weathering. Secondly, the boulders are suffering from solarisation. Because the temperature differences between day and night are so great, the rocks expand and shrink a little bit every 24 hours. This causes some rocks to crack, sometimes even splitting them in half. This is a drainage basin developed in response to a steady rate of lowering of the local base level, which is the lower boundary. ... Weathering is the process of decomposition and/or disintegration of rocks in situ, that is, in place. ... Exfoliation has several meanings: Dead skin cells? No: geological exfoliation of granite at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Texas, USA Exfoliation (cosmetology), is a cosmetic technique aimed at removing dead skin cells from the face and body. ... For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... Spheroidal weathering is a type of physical and chemical weathering that creates rounded boulders and helps to create domed monoliths. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Controversy

One of the marbles was removed from a formation in 1953 and taken to Alice Springs to form a permanent memorial to John Flynn, the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia. At the time, this was seen as a way of remembering his link to the outback, but in later decades it was a source of great controversy because the rock was removed from a sacred site without the direct permission of the tribal elders. In the late 1990s, a boulder swap was arranged, and the missing marble was removed from the grave, cleaned, and returned to its original place ^{[citation needed]}. The grave is now marked with a similar boulder donated by the local Arrernte people.HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Alice Springs on a large scale map Alice Springs is a large town in the Northern Territory of Australia located at 23°42′ S 133°52′ E. Its population of 28,178 (2001 Census) makes it the second-largest settlement in the Territory (the only other towns of... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here For other persons named John Flynn, see John Flynn (disambiguation). ... The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS, informally known as The Flying Doctors) is an air ambulance service for those living in the remote inland areas of Australia. ... A tourism sign post Yalgoo, Western Australia The Dingo Fence near Coober Pedy Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia Outback refers to remote and arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can cover any lands outside of the main urban areas. ... Arrente is both a language, a group of people, and an area of land in Central Australia. ...

Popular Culture

The American travel writer Bill Bryson describes a visit to the Devils Marbles in his book In A Sunburned Country. William Bill McGuire Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American-born author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on scientific subjects. ...

References

External links

• "Controversy about removing a "marble"", Alice Springs News, 1999-09-08. 
• Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve.
• More about Devil's Marbles.

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