Photo by Mike Beauregard.

What we’re seeing here is the ductility of the marble. According to the picture author, the marble dates from the Lower Proterozoic, more than 1.6 billion years ago to a period called the Aphebian Age.

When rocks are subjected to high temperatures and pressures over long periods of time, they will either transform or break. Marble is not a particularly ductile rock, but we do see it bend and take the shape imposed by the geological stress.

Enjoyed this article? Join 40,000+ subscribers to the ZME Science newsletter. Subscribe now!