Strange: 'Living' rocks can grow, multiply and move - VN Intellectual

During the dry season, Trovant is completely motionless and stays in place without changing size. But when the rainy season comes, the rocks seem to come alive, start to increase in size and even move.

This 'living' rock called Trovant, considered an interesting geological phenomenon, was discovered in the small village of Costesti in Romania. The name Trovant is synonymous with the German term 'Sandsteinkonkretionen', which means Adhesive Sand. Earthquakes are thought to be the cause of this strange rock, which appeared about 6 million years ago. Sand reservoirs are created after the successive deposition of material carried by rivers. Trovant rocks  develop when rocks and sand  mix with water , from small stones about 6 - 8 cm they grow into large rocks 6 - 10 m in size.

When cut across a Trovant stone , their cross-section is spherical or oval and has many stone veins like the cross-section of a tree. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that Trovant rocks have a main core, after which sand grains adhere around the perennial core forming crusts resembling tree veins.

Trovants can be created by the accumulation of highly porous sand and sandstone deposits bound by calcium carbonate-rich water. The name 'Trovant' (trovanti) was given by naturalist Gh. M. Murgoci in 'The Tertiary in Oltenia'.

But what makes these rocks proliferate? Any form of water rich in calcium carbonate is needed to form Trovant, and that may be what causes these rocks to grow in the presence of rainwater.

After each heavy rain, Trovant will absorb the minerals in the rainwater. The minerals are combined with the chemical composition already present in the rock then creating a reaction and internal pressure. Spontaneous pressure causes rocks to grow from the center to the surface and proliferate, with core deposition rates falling about 4-5 cm over 1000 years.

Trovant occurs in a smooth and non-angular shape, usually cylindrical, nodular or spherical. Trovant develops these inconsistent shapes as they 'grow' and 'proliferate' due to the irregular secretion of 'cement'.

In fact, there are many theories to explain the origin and strange behavior of Trovant stones . However, until now, there has not been a single research document or reliable experiments related to this stone. According to the International Geological Congress in Oslo 2008, 'Trovant' is considered a type of 'sandstone concrete'. According to the hypothesis put forward at the congress, the Trovant of Romania has a magnetic texture that reflects the paleodynamic conditions (early seismic) and corresponds to the specific compositions of the sand sediments (especially the- boron) accumulates in the sand, occurring during significant seismic tremors.

Trovants are not only strange due to their structure and ability to grow and multiply. This 'live rock' can also move from place to place. With the combined characteristics of a plant and a rock, it is difficult to say whether these Trovants should be classified as living or non-living creatures. Currently, Trovant is one of the remarkable attractions attracting tourists from near and far to Romania. These stones are currently being preserved by UNESCO as a heritage site.