The Mystery of Browning Mountain: Geologic Anomalies & Glacial Flooding in the Heartland of America

There are many theories regarding the origin and significance of the geologic formations at Browning Mountain in Hoosier National Forest, near the ghost town of Elkinsville in Brown County, Indiana.
The site contains dozens of large, rectangular megalithic boulders arranged parallel to one another on the edge of one of the tallest summits in the state. Since the first settlers arrived in the area, people have speculated that the rocks may have been an ancient castle or fort, an old quarry, and even a ceremonial site with astronomical alignments similar to Stonehenge in England.
The site has been examined by geologists and other scientists on multiple occasions, and most have concluded that the rock formations can be explained by natural processes. Despite this, their presence remains an anomaly, as there are no other similar sites of this magnitude and form in the region. Furthermore, the rocks being of natural origin does not erase the importance that the site has held for the native indigenous peoples and early pioneer settlers, nor does it reduce the amount of awe that can be inspired in modern-day visitors.
Browning Mountain exists within the Borden geological group, a sequence of rocks typified by thick sections of highly fractured gray shale with thin layers of interbedded sandstone. The sandstone beds are usually only a few feet thick, and they tend to fracture with parallel joint sets. The western edge of Browning Mountain has a particularly thick layer of this fractured sandstone, and the parallel joints give the impression of cut or quarried stone blocks.
To fully understand why the Borden creates such a unique exposure at Browning Mountain, we have to consider the other major factor influencing the geology of the region: glaciers. But when we examine the maximum glacial extent for this part of Indiana, it is clear that the glaciers did not reach Browning Mountain. This is corroborated by the lack of glacial till and other related deposits at the summit where the rocks are exposed.
Although there is no evidence that glaciers ever covered the area, there is evidence that a past glacier got very close. As this sheet of ice several thousand feet thick melted, it created a torrential flood that carved out the major drainage valleys in the region.
Browning Mountain, it just so happens, is located at a sharp hairpin bend in the Middle Fork Salt Creek drainage valley. When the melting glaciers flooded this valley, this hairpin bend became a cutbank where severe erosion occurred.
The rocks underlying the sandstone blocks atop Browning Mountain are fractured shales that the torrential floods rapidly eroded away. This action undercut the sandstone blocks above, causing them to erode out of the hillside and slump down the hill.
It just so happens that the sandstone blocks are fractured parallel and perpendicular to the eroded hillslope, furthering the illusion that the rocks were intentionally cut along these faces.
The main rocks exposed at the top of Browning Mountain are still intact, but with time and weathering they too will slowly start to creep down the hill and join their friends who were displaced by glacial outwash erosion so many thousands of years ago.
The formation remains steady as a testament to the geologic forces that have shaped the area, and as a catalyst for the imaginations of those who dare to dream of grand constructions and lost civilizations.
#nature #hiking #mystery #debate #hikeindiana #hikewithme #hike #browningmountain #fortress #quarry #castle #stonhenge #history #nativeamericans #theory #whatdoyouthink #neboridgetrail #trail #browncountyindiana #browncounty #indiana #hoosiernationalforest #forest #wilderness #evergreen #evergreencontent #educational #woodlands #woods #gopro #action #peaceful #walkthroughnature #walkinthewoods #rocks #geology #borden #sandstone #megaliths #mysterious #strange #amazing #relaxing #trees #vista #greatview #winter #sun #sunnyday #outdoors #outdoor #ridge #bizarre #archaeology #ceremonial #shale #erosion #glacial #glaciers #flooding #pioneers #newspaper #theories #elkinsville #browning #drone #aerialfootage #aerial #djimini4pro #aerialview #wilderness
#geomorphology #geomorfologia #glacialgeology #bedrock
Note: the glacial outwash and bedrock jointing hillslope theory described in this video is an original idea founded in an understanding of the local geology and glacial history. To my knowledge the theory has never been proposed before to explain the formation of these boulders, and this theory has yet to be peer-reviewed.
Music: Handel - Largo (from ‘Xerxes’)
Performed by The London Baroque Orchestra
Courtesy of www.chosic.com

[@nothing-b2n]

From the giant time period

[@Airroll777]

The archeologists are upset because they are not allowed to dig up any fresh graves anymore! Those mountains are beautiful and if you go there during the longest day of the year, you may see how those stones matter! And you know they do! They just found a calender that was used by the natives up at 8000 feet on private property they bought the land because the rock drawings were being systematically destroyed and thank goodness they saved alot.Natives were building three story brick homes,and had a population of 1 million people,they found pearls, gold, diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, and full sets of Armor for 8 foot tall human beings, over 20 of them and full burial outfits of copper, gold, and silver some 30 skeletons over 8 feet tall were dug up!I understand the giants were caretakers of the temples, they were all looted pyramids filled with artwork catlanite pipes and this civilization lasted for over 1000 years until they all died of the plege!but the coolest thing was that when all the valuables were gone, an archeologist finally took over the site.They found a few more giant skeletons but after 10 years of looking and getting the truth about this place they could never find any weapons of any kind, this would suggest the Navaho!Of course no one followed up!and they lost the bones again!I understand they are in private hands in Britain!to this day they are still looking for weapons arrow heads and bow and arrows etc the suits of armor were ceremonial covered with jewels.there was a guy with a wheel barrow who was melting the metals right on sight! But it is ironic that in the 1920s the president of the United States demanded all the gold be turned in! Now you know why!