Sliding Rock We’re off to another island. Here,


rock towers poke through the mist. T ese rocks didn’t tumble from a cliff , though. T e heavy pull of gravity moved the rocks. It caused a landslide. It started with heavy volcanic


rock. T is rock crushed the rocks beneath it. T e weathered bits of crushed rock slipped and slid. T e heavier rock on top slid, too. Some chunks flipped upright and ended up poking out of the ground. T ose are the towers we see. Today, rain and ice slowly crack


and chip away these rocky towers. Eventually, erosion will carry the towers away.


River of Ice Not all of the tumbled rock is


jagged. Not far away from us is a maze of grassy hills. T is place is called Fairy Glen. T e rocks that form these hills


are rounded. Years ago, a glacier, or river of ice, scraped across the land. It smoothed the giant chunks of rock. It polished their rough edges. Today, the ice is gone. Tiny hills


remain. It would would take hours to explore them.


22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


An ancient glacier scraped across the land and smoothed these rocky hills.


Wind-Whipped Meadows We have one last stop to make. We’ll


visit a beautiful meadow. T ere are no jagged cliff s or big rocks here. Near this meadow, waves pound a


beach. T e water weathers seashells into bits. T e bits wash ashore and create a sandy beach. Howling winds blow the sand inland. T e sand fills in gaps between the rocks. Over time, the sand covers the


rocky land. Grasses and flowers take root. In spring, the meadow bursts with color. Weathering and erosion are still at work. T ey break down cliff s. T ey move rocks and sand. Just imagine what we’d see in another thousand years!


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