Ireland's Aran Islands: Old maps and dead clams help solve coastal boulder mystery
Monday, April 30, 2012 - 17:30
in Earth & Climate
Perched atop the sheer coastal cliffs of Ireland's Aran Islands, ridges of giant boulders have puzzled geologists for years. What forces could have torn these rocks from the cliff edges high above sea level and deposited them far inland? While some researchers contend that only a tsunami could push these stones, new research finds that plain old ocean waves, with the help of some strong storms, did the job.