What a fantastic discovery 🌎

Botryoidal Formation - A botryoidal texture or mineral habit, is one in which the mineral has an external form composed of many rounded segments, named for the Ancient Greek βότρυς, meaning "a bunch of grapes". This is a common form for many minerals, particularly hematite and malachite, which are known for frequently forming botryoidal masses.

It reminded me of a hollowed out tree stump. Like the petrified forest. Great video!

First time viewer. Gotta say how grateful I am, that you treat this incredible earth with such respect. You aren't poking everything and causing breakage. Bless you ❤

It looks to me that you are in the Navajo/Aztec sandstone of Arizona. These were ancient sand dunes dating way back to Jurassic times when this part of the world was perhaps the largest desert dune field the world has ever known. Since the bedding under your structure appears undisturbed, I am reasonably sure that this is the remains of an ancient oasis. Within these extensive dunes, there were oasis where ground water came up to the surface and created pools. In these oasis, the water was highly mineralized with calcium carbonate (AKA calcite, AKA limestone) which is also the mineral that holds the sand grains together elsewhere. Over the centuries, while this oasis existed, the calcite would deposit in the waters and in the mud of this pool and slowly build up rounded concretions of limestone. This limestone deposit was and is more resistant to erosion than the surrounding sandstone and so while the sandstone eroded away, the oasis deposits stand out. The Aztec sandstone, formed as it did in a harsh desert, contains very, very few fossils, but algae and sometimes animal fossils can be found in these ancient oasis formations. Without being there myself and testing the minerals that are there, this is my best guess based on similar structures I have examined in Utah.

I wasnt sure until you started walking around the dry riverbed, but I’m 90% that’s an old spring of some kind. An outlet for an underground aquifer that dried up a long, long time ago. The “bubbles” would basically be sand and rock pearls, made of the same stuff that gradually layered the walls as it was running. I don’t know why this one didn’t erode away as fast as the rest of the rock around it, maybe there’s different rock where the water originally came from. That’s also why the tube has a water-like texture; that’s how the water eroded the stone that used to be around it before the different rock started coming up and sticking to the walls.

Bizzzzarrre! That thing looks like an ancient section of a castle that's left after melting and water

NOLAN...EVERYTHING YOU DISCOVER IS SO IMPORTANT...THANK YOU FOR HAVING SUCH AWESOME TALENT AND COURAGE...YOUR EFFORTS NEED SUPPORT...GONNA SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.. THANKS AGAIN

The pile of stones at 1:27 is called a cairn. They are common on the wilderness hiking trails in Minnesota. Someone built that as a trail marker so they could find their way back to some spot.

I love these kinds of POV videos coming from smaller channels, no over the top editing, or anything that I've seen a million times, simply a short setup and a dude with his camera, thanks for making this.

Sometimes you can find a tiny crystal cave inside those “Bubble Rocks”… Another Amazing find, Good Job!! Love your channel!! 🌎

Great documentation, fun to follow along! Thanks to people explaining you discovery too ❤

There are a few people like this on KZfaq it really makes me happy that other people younger people are into any type of cartography and exploration and outdoorsman ship good job on all of you and thanks for posting it’s fun to go along I’m old I did a lot but it’s still fun to go along. Thank you everybody

Loving this! I turn 57 this year. After 2 surgeries & rad, I am feeling old just when I was going to be able to go do stuff. I am glad for KZfaq makingbit possible for people to make lives doing life instead of being trapped. This is so cool, so beautiful, and the geologist responses very informative.

Nice channel Dude. Smooth camera work. Great relaxing music too!🎶

You have one of the coolest channels on KZfaq & you utilize the tools of the internet so well. You’re the remnant discoverer of the new age.

Based on the image at 3:12, this is an injection/injectite feature. They provide a preferential fluid flow pathway that often causes the sediment immediately surrounding it to cement more than the other rock in the area which inhibits erosion. These are very common in the red rocks regions of NM, AZ, UT, and CO. I did my thesis on these out in the area around Canyonlands NP.

This of crystal habit is called "Botryoidal" taken from ancient Greek meaning "a bunch of grapes." It is problematic to say precisely what mineral may be causing this grape-like or globular formation from just a photo. That said, very similar botryoidal features are found in carbonate rocks (limestone) from the Dengying Formation, Sichuan Basin, China. If this rock formation is limestone - and it looks like it could be - the botryoidal structures could be composed of fibrous dolomite or aragonite. How did these features form? Quite difficult to say from a photo but my best guess is precipitation cementation from insitu chemical or biochemical reactions. Retired mineralogist & Sr. Oil Exploration Geologist with British Petroleum.

Nice video! Great shots and editing. Love that you have such a respect for the Earth and a curious mind.

Desert Drifter is another adventurer to watch, also Trek Planner, POV is great also. They are different in their own ways. Grateful for these channels, we would never be able to see all of the beauty on our planet!!

One word of caution in the slot canyons! Don’t step on boulders stuck between the walls lest you end up being stuck like Aron from the story and movie 127 Hours. Also, ensure there’s no rain anywhere at a higher elevation that would empty into the slot canyon as some become raging torrents really quickly. Amazing scenery, thanks for the video.

Wow, where to begin. First off- This is by far the smartest KZfaq comment section I have ever seen. The depth of expertise / passion of geology on KZfaq is incredible. Secondly, thank you all for the amazing feedback- I hope to get around to answering all your comments. Lastly, there's quite a lot of different ideas as to what this could be... keep em coming. The "ancient mud spring" theory I read a couple times (imagine a dried up Yellowstone Caldera) Seems to hold a lot of weight. To the person who said its a coral reef... Love the imagination. Never change.

Thank you for this adventure. You walked through the remainings of an very old volcano. Great landscape !

It is not about erosionary forces creating the bubble rock, think of it more as the forces of erosion revealing the bubble rock underneath. All that "normal" smooth rock flow around it in that canyon is hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of year old sand and mud flow through the area that has dried for all those years. Rainfall through those years breaks down the sandstone over time to sometimes reveal what was trapped beneath. It is possible that one of 2 types of events occurred there. The ancient mud-flow wrapped around some form such as an ancient tube formed through very old seismic activity (less likely due to the geology of the area) or probably more likely- a large tree, that then hardened. That tree dying and decaying away, opening pockets of airflow, and later mud-flows pushing air through creating gaseous bubbles of hollow-spaces, the mud hardens, then later activity filling in those areas, that mud hardens. All being covered up, then revealed again. It is sometimes hard for our human mind to wrap around what is possible with millions of years of climate cycles.

1:22 the trek planner! I absolutely love watching his adventures. Not only is he extremely respectful of the places he adventures to, but he also has knowledge and keeps people engaged. I think if more did what y’all are doing, with respect of course, people wouldn’t forget history and how deep those roots actually are.

Remnants of a spring. It was built up over geologic time by minerals being deposited. Very cool find

I enjoyed watching this video! Awesome!!

I found Desert Drifter and now you. This is an area of the country I've not spent any time in and I love travelling through you, two guys! The bubble rocks, what a trip! All of it!

I'd be careful about water and flash flooding in that canyon. Back in 94 or 95, we had a flash flood rip through that canyon near Paige that the movie studios like to shoot films in. They did a sequence with Indiana Jones riding a horse through the canyon and now everyone wants to go there. The water blasted through the canyon and shot large rocks through the gaps in what is normally a very beautiful spot. A husband and wife from France were killed in the flood and the police had to go on the local radio to find an interpreter to tell their kids what happened. The kids had stayed behind with friends at a hotel pool for the day. The rain can be miles away and the water sneaks up on you very fast.

9:11 this part is just amazing. That little canyon is gorgeous, look how smooth the walls are and how it snakes back n forth. Ah man, nature is so damn cool.

What a beautiful video! I loved the end as well!

This is an awesome concept for a video series. Definitely going to check more out.

History Channel at 3AM: "This strange rock formation is not what it seems, experts say it could be the remnants of an ancient civilizations of giants, and this, was their king's throne"

This reminds me of a super ancient petrified tree... like the stump is eroded out but the outer shell stayed there over time. The bubbles remind me of how the sap will bubble up under a pine tree wound.

This was really cool! Keep doing stuff like this, you have a knack for it. I would love to explore some crazy mars like desert

I just discovered your channel. I love how you film and edit. This was such an interesting find! Thank you for taking all the drone footage and showing so much of it. Too often, I see creators show only a few seconds of something! I love that you take the time to show us so much video and drone shots. I enjoyed this very much!

Been watching Trek Planner and have enjoyed his show. Now I look forward to watching your channel grow. I would suggest delving into the geology of the area you plan to work. There are a few geologists doing great field geology videos. The more information you can provide your viewers the more followers you’ll receive. Great work. Keep it up. I didn’t do enough exploration when my legs would work right. Get out and do it or you’ll regret it someday.

Thank you for sharing this! I would strongly recommend that you consider taking an Introduction to Geology type class at your local university. It would make y9our excursions even richer! Also, geologists love to do the things you do - head out into the wilds to look at rock formations. Bet you'd have a blast. :)

A geyser complete with the rounded rocks that had been rolling around inside of it, cool these remnants of ancient vulcanism are found throughout the desert, nice find.

For me, this was one of the most interesting of your travel finds. Wow!

The round "bubble rocks" are called Moqui Marbles. The state of Utah Geology website has an article about them. They are found in a lot of places from Moab down to Arizona. Cool video.

It kind of looks like an old tree trunk but maybe petrified period. That is so unique. Thank you for your video and the drone footage. 🙏🏻💕

Just came across your videos an hour ago. I'm hooked I no longer even consider Bryan. Forrester mystery history, granite for granite. You are the number one KZfaq right now. You came at the right time in the right place. Keep it up. You can make some money do on this. But other than that, you're providing videos that nobody else has ever considered or come across in the past. I don't know how they've missed it, but you. Are doing a good job, keep it up. Thank you.

We love your videos man! We love exploring as well and in every video you literally take us with you Thanks 🙏

Myron Cook is a geology professor and he has a video explaining how these type of formations form. Thanks for your video and look forward to seeing more from you.

Appears to be the ancient remains of a hot spring or geyser. Other possibility is that it was a cave formation, but being that you are in sandstone and not limestone country, I lean toward the idea of a thermal water formation.

Great find! Loved choice of music too.

It'd be so sick to do a meet up/guided hike with you one day! You always find the coolest spots bro, thanks for the great content Nolan! ✌

I am pretty sure I can explain as you asked. I am doing a video on it now referencing your question on this feature. Thank you my Good Friend. It is biology.

That’s just plain crazy, I sure hope you don’t trip around these places completely alone, should always have someone in case you need them if your ever in a pickle. Safety first! What an amazing place and adventure. So much to explore in the world, places I’d never see if it wasn’t for your awesome video. Now I’m speechless.

Incredible find! Thanks for making this visible for us, Nolan!👍🏻✅️

Awesome! What a find!

Have you investigated the bubble rock to see if there are geodes? Like cut one open? Great exploration. That might be a volcanic pipe.

watching a couple of exploration channels. they are much more interesting when it's 1 or 2 people making the effort to check it out alone. it seems much more personal and when something amazing gets found, the excitement is more believable and we're able to share in it. keep up the good work, we're with ya!

Drone footage was amazing!!! Please create a 2-3 hrs video like that with the same type of music!! It was extremely relaxing to my brain and soul

Love this stuff, keep up the wonderful work: that you obviously enjoy doing😇 its always a pleasure joining you

I like that you give some credit to the trek planner. He is super respectful to the sites & you seem to be too. Looking forward to more.

i think it's a fossilized thermal mud vent. there are others that appear all over the deserts of Utah, New mexico Nevada and parts of texas that also have that curcular formation with natural eroded walls

Nice work, man. Fascinating formation of rocks.

How lucky to be able to discover something new on the planet in this day and age where it feels like there isn't anything left to discover.

I appreciate you actually going out there and looking at these thing's instead of making guesses from your computer like a lot of people do. Thank you.

It looks like the remnants of a mud volcano. Eroded over millennia of time. You can see the mud flow patterns running out one of the sides and that would also explain the round shape of the structure. Hope that helps.

I enjoyed this video for sure. What an interesting formation that thing is. Keep up these good videos.

New to your channel, great pics 🎉

Look into randall carlson. He studies geological formations. He has a theory many of the crazy features we see in North America were formed by unimaginably large floods due to the melting of the ice caps that used to cover Canada and much of Northern America (possibly melting from large asteroid impacts during the Younger Dryas era). What's interesting is some of those "bubble rocks" you showed do kind of look like formations of minerals that you sometimes see in caves. Pretty interesting stuff man, thanks for hiking all the way out there and sharing this with us.

Great video. Subbed! No annoying dialogue, nice and to the point. In a busy world where we all don't have time to see as much as we'd like its appreciated when you share great hikes like this. Also great drone work brings the formations details to us.

Great video!

Curiosity (and compassion) are our best qualities. And it's on such a remarkable display here. Really fascinating formation and great images!

I'd call it the Throne. I'd speculate a lava tube that rose vertically. Those pearls look like cave crystals that have come to the surface. What a stunning landscape! subbed

Thanks for filming your walk....I felt like I was there with you, and feeling excited as to what is going to appear😊

I love all your videos and for some reason the MUSIC at the end of this one was spot ON! KUDOS to you🎉

Absolutely fantastic 👍 , I love your videos you are amazing 👍💯💕

Nolan those were some really cool formations that you stumbled across, I wish I had the time to look for stuff like that! It really looks like a lot of fun! The final Caverns you were walking through were absolutely awesome, that was really some nice footage, outstanding!

You might already know this from living in the desert, but whenever you find a random stone cairn like that, check in the holes for a metal box. It was for some reason, common for miners to put their land claim in a box inside stone piles. I'm guessing it's so other people would know it was claimed? Anyhow, I've seen a number of explorers find these in the rock piles. Great video!! Also, just subscribed!

Awesome channel! 👍 checking out more of your videos.... and I don't know if that was a petrified tree but I do think you had to climb through an ancient ear canal to exit the area 😆 Just kidding.

I love seeing this kind of curiosity and adventurous spirit alive and well. I wish you good luck and safe travels on the next one

I am not an archeologists. I have seen round holes like that in a creek where I grew up. The creek would be swiling around in the holes all the time. The holes would be 3 to 10" in diameter, one hole was over 20ft diameter. After 3,4 or 5 years the small holes would grow a couple inches in diameter. It looks to me like after the hole you found was formed the rock around it eroded away. All the round rocks you see where probably swirling around inside that hole and over time they all became petrified into one large rock. Very cool find. This is my uneducated - guestement, of your find.

What a fantastic find ! Thanks for the video ! Really great looks of the formation in context .

😂 “I think somebody built that” made me giggle

Very nice find, and good use of drone footage. I love it.

What you have discovered is a old cave system and this is all that's left. When you look at it from above you can see that at one time in it's past it was a sink hole that collapsed into the cave system. The other clue is the bubble rocks which are only found in cave systems. They occur from the dissolved minerals in the water dripping from the caves ceiling.

Great detective work! Very interesting geology and excellent drone photography! We need Time Machines to roll history back and see what geologic forces created the formations.. very well done!

You make great videos. Thank you

0:07 - dog

It looks like an ancient river bed that had a softer stone outcropping that was worn away. The small round rocks could be rocks that were worn smooth over centuries of water wearing it down. The arc shape may have been formed by rocks swirling in a current. Fascinating find! Thanks for taking us along.

Great discovery, drone footage and the song. The slot canyon at the end looked awesome! Great video!

Love watching your trips.

That was so interesting. It amazed me that it was geological and not man made in any way. Thanks for sharing such cool things.

You often see those bubble formations in caves, like cave pearls. I'd guess parts of this were once underground, and the nodules formed through accumulation of minerals from dripping, or flowing water, or crystal formation.

I believe the oasis idea is correct but also, if you have ever been spelunking, “cave coral” forms and looks exactly like those bubbles you’re seeing. If over the years the sand shifts and then more cave coral forms, it could also explain the stack of round crumbling rock. This might have been part of a cave system. Where standing water was largely undisturbed for a long long time. The cave coral is definitely at the base of your formation find.

Love the music, the slot canyons are gorgeous and I like the side profile of the tower rocks kinda had a side profile of a face when you were sitting down getting the drone out. Love the videos. 😊

What a great channel!

Thanks for your time sharing this cool spot.

I'm fairly certain those bubble rock formations were always "bubbly" and then erosion removed the non-bubbly rock around it.

Spherules are created in high discharge electrical events. The Thunderbolt Project on KZfaq is a good place to see what I’m talking about. Love your vids brother!

I'm glad Trek Planner inspired you!

First time watching one of you videos. I appreciate your respect of these structures and that you don't try to climb them, potentially damaging them in the process, and potentially yourself as well, simply sticking to warn paths. One of my least favorite things to see backpacking is stone stacking. I go on those hikes to appreciate the natural beauty....not a glaring reminder that people where there and couldn't stand to leave it be. Cool video, gotta download Google Earth now and do this for my home state!

Love it! Thank you!

Love this video ! Thank you for taking us on this journey.

I’m from Arizona and hike many canyons in the area….. for those of you unaware, summer monsoon season in the Sonoran desert creates flash floods, which are extremely dangerous… you can literally have a rainstorm a hundred miles away that will flood these type of canyons in minutes, trapping hikers, who have no way out🙏🏽