Monolith

:''For the computer game company, see Monolith Productions.'' :''For the Japanese computer game company, see Monolith Soft.'' A monolith is a monument or natural feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive Rock (geology) or rock. Erosion usually exposes these formations, which are most often made of very hard and solid metamorphic rock. A common cultural reference is to the Monolith from the book and film 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clark and Stanley Kubrick. These monoliths are a group of artifacts built by an alien civilization. Their purpose is to aid in the development of species. A monolith utilised at the dawn of humankind was a major reason for accelerating and directing the evolution of man to its current level of development. The word derives from the Latin word ''monolithus'' from the Greek (language) word μονόλιϑος (''monolithos''), derived from μόνος ("one" or "lonely") and λίϑος ("stone"). ==Natural monoliths== The four largest are: #Mount Augustus National Park, in Australia #Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock), in the Outback of Australia #La Pena de Bernal, in Mexico #Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia (state), USA Others include: === North America === * Bottleneck Peak and Moon, Sids Mountain, Utah * Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming * El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California * Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon * Stawamus Chief, Squamish, British_Columbia, Canada * Enchanted Rock, Llano_County,_Texas, Texas === Europe === * Frau Holle Stone, near Fulda, Germany * Humber Stone, Humberstone, near Leicester, England. * King Arthur's Stone (Cornwall) * Logan Stone (Trereen, Cornwall) * Odin Stone (Stenhouse, Orkney; destroyed in 1814) * Rock of Gibraltar === Australia === * Mount Coolum, Queensland, Australia === South America === * Towers of Paine, Chile Many of these have legends attached. ==Manmade monoliths== * Obelisks - see this article for a list * Ogham Stone, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland * Adam and Eve Stones, Avebury, Wiltshire, England * Merlin Stone, Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England * Manzanar National Historic Landmark, USA ==See also== * Megalith * Monolithic * 2001: A Space Odyssey * Monolithic church Geomorphology

Monolith

* Largest monoliths I notcied that Mount Augustus has been designated the largest monolith. Is it really a monolith? Despite claims on some tourism sites, from the descriptions I can find of it, it doesn't sound like it meets the "single massive stone" definition (although it might in a few millenia as the sedimentary strata are eroded to expose more of the igneous roots). From what I can gather most of its mass is really more of an escarpment. Seems it might qualify as a monadock but not a monolith. Is there anybody who has been there in person that can shed more light on this? == Pena de Bernal == I have read several articles that the monolith La Pena de Bernal located in the state of Queretaro, Mexico is the third largest monolith. Might want to double check. I do not know if it is correct, but it is claimed by the locals in Mexico. It is over 300 meters high, and supposedly only lighter than Ayers Rock at near 20 million tons. As a reference search a number of articles in Spanish on Mexican geography.

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