Devil Marbles-Australia Stock Photo

The Devils Marbles are a collection of huge, round, red-colored granite boulders, they are located in the Tennant Creek region of Australia's Northern Territory. The origin of the boulders may by explain by a geological way or by Aboriginal creation story of the Dreaming. The geological explanation is that the granite was formed millions years ago as a result of the hardening of magma within the Earth's crust. Thick layers of sandstone on top of it put a lot of pressure on this granite. Folding of the Earth's crust lead to the lifting of the granite and the erosion of the sandstone, the granite came to the surface. The second phase of the formation of the Marbles started when the blocks were exposed to water erosion and a layer of loose material surrounded the individual blocks. The rounding of the granite blocks is a result of both chemical as well as mechanical weathering. There are number of creation story of the Dreaming, explaining the origin of the Devil Marbles (called Karlu Karlu by Aboriginal traditional owners), but most of them are not to be told to uninitiated people. Karklu Karlu is a place of great spiritual significance and sacred site to traditional owners.