The Cotton Castle
Water drips through cracks in limestone in the country of Turkey. T e water sinks deeper underground. Deep inside Earth’s crust, magma
bubbles. Magma is melted rock. Slowly, the bubbling magma rises. Eventually, the water and magma
meet. T e water heats up. Soon it’s boiling hot. It begins to bubble back up through the cracks. As the water moves up, it picks up chemicals in the rock. Finally, it reaches Earth’s surface. T e water collects in pools called hot springs.
14 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER Some of the water spills over the
sides of the pools. T e water dries up. Chemicals in the water are leſt behind. T ey harden into new rock. T is new rock clumps together.
It piles up like big, fluff y balls of cotton. T at’s why people call this place the Cotton Castle. Over time, this process creates
a white hillside. T e hill isn’t a gentle slope. It looks like steps. T e springs bubble inside the steps. As long as the water flows, these rock formations will grow.
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