Ball’s Pyramid Facts
- This astounding geological formation, jutting magnificently up from beneath the surface of the ocean, bears the simple name of Ball’s Pyramid. This breathtaking landform further holds a place of great honor among the similar works of Nature found around the world.
- That holds true because the amazing site ranks as the tallest formation of its kind known to man. The local government thus accorded it a special place in their culture, due to this fact. The unique site now forms part of a protected area named the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.
- Presently, it’s still unknown if ancient mariners ever glimpsed this masterpiece of natural processes. The first recorded sighting of it, though, took place 1788. Its name pays homage to the first known person to spot it, Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, who made that sighting.
- This marvelous work of geological forces also shares a common fact with yet another remarkable landform. That’s because the very same intrepid officer also, for the first time in recorded history, discovered the fascinating formation now known as Lord Howe Island.
- Multiple attempts to scale the precarious heights of Ball’s Pyramid failed, until one finally succeeded in 1965. That team of four Australian climbers included Bryden Allen, John Davis, Jack Pettigrew, and David Witham. Several other attempts to climb it followed in later years.
- In the year 1982, however, the government of the region banned all such attempts. Then later, in 1986, the government subsequently banned all access to the site. But, in 1990, the leaders relaxed that restriction, to allow limited attempts. Doing so now requires an official permit.
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Ball’s Pyramid Physical Description
Certainly, the stark yet undeniably stunning Ball’s Pyramid, of aspecific type known as a stack, merits full appreciation. It does so, however, due to a combination of several unique statistics. The combination of these makes for a remarkable, not to mention, hard to believe, recounting.
For starters, the site juts sharply up from the surrounding sea, standing a respectable 1,844 ft (562 m) tall. Yet that statistic alone doesn’t serve to distinguish it from countless other sites around the world. Indeed, countless others reach far greater heights, relative to the surrounding waters.
The mesemric feature stands out, however, due to the sheer steepness of its slopes. At the point where it meets the water, it measures a mere 3,609 ft (1,100 m) in length. Its recorded width, though, only reaches a scant 984 ft (300 m) across at its widest point at any spot along its entire length.
Those measurements lend the awe-inspiring monolith men named Ball’s Pyramid a sharply triangular shape. Its steep sides also possess very few breaks or ledges to mar the otherwise relatively smooth surface. The combination creates a starkly beautiful, if mostly vertical, landscape.
Ball’s Pyramid Location, Formation, and Ecology
Part of the reason why the incredible Ball’s Pyramid wasn’t discovered, to our knowledge, at least, until the 18th century, occurs due to its location on the earth’s surface. That’s because this wonder formed in a comparatively remote part of the ocean, situated in the Southern Hemisphere.
More precisely, though, this marvel of Nature and natural processes lies roughly 12 mi (20 km) from Lord Howe Island. That further places it approximately 400 mi (643.7 km) northeast of Sydney, Australia. The island, and the local region, presently constitutes a possession of that country.
To no great surprise for those possessing an understanding of geology, the site also has a volcanic origin. Specifically, it represents what’s known as an erosional remnant, due to the actions of the surrounding waves. It originally formed part of the caldera of what’s known as a shield volcano.
Evidence uncovered by researchers indicates that the original volcano formed sometime around 6.4 million years ago. Intriguingly, this impressive site itself actually forms part of the submerged continent named Zealandia. It’s now positioned roughly in the center of a submarine shelf.
Given the extremely harsh local environmental conditions, very little life inhabits the magnificent Ball’s Pyramid. Yet, the resourcefulness of Nature cannot be overlooked. Scant vegetation clings to the rocks there, however, struggling to surive in the harsh and inhospitable environment.
That scarce vegetation principally consists of a very small variety of grasses, mosses, and lichens. A limited population of small shrubs also appear, though, marginally eking out their survival. These plants mainly consist of a single species in the Myrtle family, endemic to the surrounding region.
Occasionally, however, a few seabirds choose to make their nests on the imposing site. Several locally numerous species make use of its special geography in this way for their purposes. That’s due to the understandable fact that the steep walls provide a refuge for the raising of the young.
Astonishingly, though, only a single known species of insect makes its home on the island. That’s because a tiny population of the awesome Lord Howe Island Stick Insect lives there. The entire known population, however, consists of only a few dozen specimens, living under a single bush!
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