Dear Syed,

as far as I can see, it looks like a sort of algal mat: stromatolite, perhaps?

Best,

Diego

Hi Diego:

Thank you so much for your input. Actually, I was also suspecting this to be a modern carbonate rock, which could be formed in rainy supratidal flats and displaying crinkled bedding typical of tidal rhythmites. I would appreciate if someone could help me to taxonomically identify such Stromatolite from Maldives.

Dear Dr. Jafar,

I would also suggest an algal or stromaolitic structure to be shown on the image. I attach a paper from the Arabian Gulf where you can find a similar but not identical structure placed in the environmental framework of a "Wadden Sea under the tropical Sun".

Mit herzlichem Glückauf !

H.G.Dill

Harald:

Das is aber sehr interessant, vielen Dank! Very interesting insight in this important publication.

Best

Syed

My first thought, too, was that it was a stromatolite. But, for the sake of variety -and knowing nothing about the geology of the area- might I also suggest that it could be a mud volcano?

If you go to the wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_volcano and scroll down then eventually you will come across a photo of what is being called a "A cold mud pot in Glenblair, California", which looks very similar.

Roger:

Sorry, it may look look like a mud volcano, but it is not. Characteristic crinkled structure and rhythmic bedding suggests Stromatolite like build up. Lack of characteristic crater and mud flow structures rule out mud volcano origin which are globally common on land and sea floor mostly  in island arc system.

Best

Syed 

OK. Stromatolite it is then.

Hi Syed!

I agree with the rest of the respondents that you are in all likelihood dealing with a stromatolitic structure. For the sake of precision, these are produced by microbes (!) not algae, although in earlier days one generally spoke of algal mats. The main culprits, however, are cyanobacteria which, for a long time, used to be erroneously called "blue-green algae", hence the reference to "algal mats". Today one would preferentially speak of "microbial mats". I suggest you get in touch with Nora Noffke (Old Dominion University, USA) who is a world expert on thus structures (e-mail: [email protected]).

Regards, Burg Flemming

Burghard:

You are absolutely right. Would get in touch with Dr. Nora Noffke for further insights.

Mit herzlichem Gruss.

Best

Syed

May also be an eroded coral micro-atoll. Are there any living corals nearby?