Devil’s Throat

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Iguazu Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world which lies in the border between Argentina and Brazil. This natural wonder has 275 falls, each named separately. The U-shaped center is the spectacular Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) where fourteen falls drop 350 feet with massive force. (More about spectacular waterfalls here)

Devil’s Marbles (Boulders)

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Devils Marbles are gigantic rounded granite boulders found in the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve in the Northern Territory of Australia. These huge rocks are believed to have been formed about 1.7 billion years ago as a result of the hardening of magma within the earth’s crust. Pressure, erosion, chemical and mechanical weathering helped formed the granite into giant marbles. The huge temperature difference between night and day expands and shrinks the rocks causing some to crack and even split into half. The 1,802 hectare Reserve is called Karlu Karlu by the Aboriginal traditional owners and considers it a sacred place.

Devil’s Peak (Mountain)

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Part of the mountainous backdrop to Cape Town is the 1000 m (3281 ft) high mountain called Devil’s Peak. The upper rocky parts of this mountain consist of hard, uniform and resistant sandstone resting upon a basal shale which lies upon a basement of older rocks. The mountain was originally named Windberg. It is believed that since the Dutch word for devil and dove sounds similar the current name became corrupted from Duifespiek (Dove’s Peak) to Duiwelspiek (Devil’s Peak). In 2002, attempts were made to change the name to Dove’s Peak, claiming that this was the original Dutch name.

Devil’s Town (Rock Formations)

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In the Radan Mountains south of Serbia is a group of rock formations called Djavolja Varos or Devils Town. The formations, described as earth pyramids are believed to have been formed by erosion. Two springs are beneath these pyramids, Devil’s Water has very high acid concentrations (pH 1.5) while  Red Well has high mineral concentration (15 g/1 of water).

Devil’s Punchbowl (Canyon/Rock Formations)

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The Devil’s Punchbowl is a jumble of rocks in the 1310 acre national park in California, USA. It is a deep canyon cut off by the runoff of water from the higher mountains over thousands of years. The mountains above the park have an elevation of 8,000 ft above sea level. The unusual up-tilted rock formations found in the area are layers of sedimentary rocks formed by water depositing loose material in horizontal layers. These were later squeezed by movements along the canyon and pressures along the San Andreas Fault.

Devil’s Inkpot (Mud Pool)

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Another attraction at New Zealand’s geothermal wonderland is the boiling mud pool named Devil’s Inkpot. The pool not only bubbles, it also produces a variety of explosions as steam vents up through the mud. The pools are continually changing as the hotspots of upwelling steam move about. These were formed when New Zealand’s largest mud volcano was eroded by heavy rain.

Devil’s Kitchen (Rock Formation)

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The Tasman Peninsula in Australia is well known for its rugged eastern coastline. At Eaglehawk Neck (a narrow isthmus connecting the Tasman Peninsula to mainland Tasmania) are many strange rock formations including the Devil’s Kitchen.  Together with Tasman’s Arch and Blow Hole the natural formations are carved by the sea through the rock face of the eastern coast.

Devil’s Arse (Cavern)

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The Devil’s Arse is one of the four show caves in Derbyshire, England. Inside this cave are unusual rock formations and strange sounds of running water including flatulent-sounding noise (where it got its name). The entrance chamber is the largest natural cave entrance in the British Isles. In 1880, the name “Devil’s Arse” was changed to “Peak Cavern” so as not to offend Queen Victoria who went to visit the place to watch a concert.

Devils Golf Course (Salt Basin)

Devil’s Golf Course is a huge salt pan in Death Valley National Park, California. A lake used to cover the valley thousands of years ago. The rough surface, formed of huge salt crystals consists of minerals that were dissolved in the lake water and left behind as the lake evaporated. It was discovered that the salt and the gravel beds of the Golf Course extend to a depth of up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m).

It’s interesting to note that there are dozens of geological formations named after the devil, some even of the same name like the underwater cave named Devil’s Throat in the Caribbean, another rock formations named Devil’s Kitchen in Utah, USA and a natural amphitheater called Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey, England.

Read also:

• The Devil’s Sites 1
  
• The Devil’s Plants
• Famous Trees of Africa
• Worms: The Christmas Trees of the Deep