Tafoni of Gatbawi, Mokpo

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.500

Category

자연지형

Designated year

2009

Location

목포시, 전라남도— 전라남도 목포시 용해동 산 86-24 인접해역

Coordinates

34.791995, 126.425690

The Gatbawi Sea Cliff of Mokpo is a rock formation, located at the estuary of the Yeongsangang River where freshwater meet seawater. The rock formation of tafoni type, created from weathering and erosion, has a peculiar appearance reminiscent of two men wearing a conical hat. Tafoni are usually formed in exposed outcrops of a rock mass that can be easily penetrated by moisture. The internal moisture induces volume change, which, in turn, results in mechanical pressure, causing granular disintegration of the rock. Once a tafone starts to form, the weathering process accelerates, as the affected area is shaded from the sun, allowing more moisture to penetrate the inside of the rock and the disintegration to extend to the inner area. A nature-made sculpture, created solely through a slow weathering process, the Gatbawi Sea Cliff of Mokpo is spectacular in appearance and is, in this regard, comparable to no other tafoni in Korea.

Location