The strange sight has left visitors puzzled since its discovery and has generated tales of giants who balanced the rock in its position, but geologists have a more realistic explanation: glaciers. This is not the first balanced rock to be discovered, and scientists believe that glaciers, capable of carrying such a heavy rock with them, left it behind as they retreated north more than 8,000 years ago. The power of glaciers surpasses even that of giants.
The La Roca Kummakivi in balance is a spectacular natural wonder found in a picturesque forested region in RuoKolahti, a municipality in the South Karelia region of Finland. This marvel consists of two rocks, one precariously balanced on top of the other. Despite the upper rock appearing as though it could slide off at any moment, it has never happened. Additionally, if a human were to apply force to the rock, it would not move even slightly.
The strange Kummakivi balancing rock is a unique geological formation found in Finland. Its name, “Kummakivi,” has been translated to mean “strange rock.” The formation consists of two rocks, with the bottom rock having a curved mound shape and a smooth, convex surface embedded in the ground. Resting on top of this mother rock is another giant rock that measures approximately 7 meters (22.97 feet) in length. The contact point between these two rocks is quite small, giving the impression that the upper rock is performing an impossible balancing act.
Even someone who sees the Kummakivi Balancing Rock for the first time would probably expect the top rock to roll over at any moment. But the rock is firmly anchored in the bedrock and has not yet been pushed (not even moved slightly) by any human being.
The natural formation of the rock in this area must have left the ancient inhabitants puzzled, as they undoubtedly wondered how it could have found itself in such a perplexing position. It’s likely that they even attempted to move it themselves but soon realized that their physical strength was insufficient to do so. This led them to speculate that some sort of supernatural force had been responsible for bringing the rock to its current location.
Not only do balancing rocks provide interesting stories for people, they have also been used for more scientific purposes. In the United States, researchers have used balancing rocks as a natural seismograph. Although these rocks do not indicate when earthquakes occurred in the past, they are an indication that the region has not experienced earthquakes strong enough to knock them down. Information about the amount of force needed to move these rocks can provide details about the magnitude of past earthquakes and the recurrence and intervals of large earthquakes in the area, which would be vital for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. In other words, balancing rocks can save lives!
