#concretions

trovants

Valley of the Planets / Kawakeb, Kufra, Libya

There is very little information, apart from a few photos circulating on Facebook groups and Reddit threads

The Valley of the Planets, also known as Kawakeb, is a natural wonder in the Libyan Desert, specifically in the Wan Tikofi valley near Ghat in southwestern Libya. It's renowned for its unique rock formations, called "concretions" some reaching 10 m in diameter, are scattered across a vast, remote desert area - AI

These formations, called “trovants” or concretions are compacted mixtures of sand, clay, and calcium carbonate (highly water absorbent), result of unique geological processes in a handful of locations around the world.

Trovants are also called “living stones” because they appear to move, grow or even “breathe” in response to their environment [mostly rain/humidity as catalyst]

Concretions form within layers of sedimentary strata that have already been deposited. They usually form early in the burial history of the sediment, before the rest of the sediment is hardened into rock. This concretionary cement often makes the concretion harder and more resistant to weathering. -wiki

https://explorersweb.com/natural-wonders-valley-of-the-planets/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Ln4l8Os2E

I thought the chunky piece used to be part of someone's floor. Turns out it is a naturally occurring concretion.

Forbidden crunchy apples... Mmmmm