Tatamigaura
Iwami Tatamigaura
Tatamigaura is separated into three distinctive layers that are easily viewable in part by a massive earthquake that hit the area around 1837 that pushed part of the coastline 25 meters higher than the rest allowing us to view a cross section 20 million (or 4000 for you creationists out there) years of rock formation. The top and bottoms sections are relatively the same, both having been created by molten magma mixing with SandS. The most fascinating section, though is the middle, which was formed AbOUT 16 million years ago. This section consists of rocks that have been bound together by calcium carbonate, or lime, that came off sea shells and sands mixed with rain water. The result is rocks suspended on the side of a cliff in NATURAL concrete (Suspended stones). The 1837 earthquake also exposed two tiny islets, Dog Island and Cat Island where these layers are quite identifiable.
The main area is a section that did not rise up during the 1837 earthquake, so it is the top layer that Tatamigaura gets its name from. The wide area right on the coast is split horizontally and vertically by small creases in the rock that make the over-all area seem to resemble tatami mats in both shape and color, hence the name TATAMIgaura (The mats). The most EXCITING part about these sandstone plains, though, are the many fossils that can be found in them, from 5 million year old oysters to ancient whale bones, the fossils are easily viewable right on the surface of the plains in the form of nodules. These nodules were formed in the sandstone by groups of shells, often discarded by crabs and other sea creatures after feeding on them. The shells would secrete calcium carbonate, or lime, when exposed to rainwater and the area around the shells would make a hole in the sandstone and harden. Over time the hardened holes would be filled and covered by weak sandstone. Over the last few million years the sandstone has slowly been corroded away by wind and storms and the nodules are becoming exposed to the open air (A big nodule). In these nodules, we can find with the [...] eye many different type of fossilized sea life.