5 Geological Formations That Seem Carefully Designed

Layers of differently colored sediment were compressed, uplifted, and eroded into the striped hills of Zhangye. Changing light makes the reds, yellows, and darker bands appear especially vivid.

More than a thousand rounded hills rise across part of Bohol in the Philippines. Grass covers the limestone forms and turns brown during dry periods, giving the landscape its familiar name.

Large, nearly spherical concretions emerge from coastal cliffs and lie scattered along Koekohe Beach. Cracks and erosion divide some boulders into patterns resembling stone shells.

Cross-bedded sandstone at The Wave has been eroded into smooth, curving forms. Alternating bands follow the shape of the rock and create the impression of movement across a fixed surface.

As ancient lava cooled, contraction fractures divided the basalt into closely packed columns. Many have six sides, producing a shoreline that resembles a vast field of paving stones.