The Tessellated Pavements

Loaf Formation Tessellated Pavements at Eaglehawk Neck
Courtesy of Ben Messina on RedBubble.com

Introduction

The Tessellated Pavements are located on the narrow isthmus connecting the Tasman Peninsula to the mainland. It is covered in an oddly uniform pattern which is extremely rare and shockingly, formed by natural causes. It is known as the Tessellated Pavements, because the rocks are fractured into regular shaped polygonal blocks - appearing tiled (or tessellated).

How were they formed?

The rocks were initially eroded by waves carrying sand, gravel, or various chemicals which led to their flat surfaces. Next, the rocks absorb sea water during high tide and dry out during low tide. This causes salt crystals to grow and disintegrate the rocks, leading to shallow basins.

Pan Formation Tessellated Pavements at Eaglehawk Neck
Courtesy of Wikipedia

Types of Tessellated Pavements

There are two formations at Eaglehawk Neck - a pan formation and a loaf formation.

• Pan formation: a series of concave depressions in the rock that typically forms beyond the edge of the seashore. This part dries out much more at low tide that the portions nearer to the seashore which leads to greater erosion and deeper "pans"
• Loaf formation: form closer to the seashore, because they are under sea water for longer periods of time. These do not dry out as much, but are instead subject to a lot of erosion from sand and other debris. Once small channels are formed in the rock, the sand is funneled into those channels leading to greater erosion and a greater "loaf" like appearance.

Sources

• http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/01/the-tessellated-pavements-of-tasmania.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g504294-d592361-r154729611-Eaglehawk_Neck_Historic_Site-Eaglehawk_Neck_Tasmania.html