The mysterious metal monolith has suddenly appeared on California's Pine Mountain

Just two weeks after a mysterious metal monolith appeared in a Utah desert, a similar structure has been discovered atop a California mountain. A local newspaper in Atascadero, a small town in the state, first reported the discovery. Dozens of local hikers have since climbed up to California's Pine mountain to take a peek at the metal structure that has seemingly captured the world's imagination. Made of stainless steel and at 10 feet tall, this monolith is not dissimilar to the one found in Utah, The Guardian reports. Eerily enough, another monolith was also located just across the pond, in Romania.

Atascadero News reported, "The three-sided obelisk appeared to be made of stainless steel, 10-feet tall, and 18 inches wide. The object was welded together at each corner, with rivets attaching the side panels to a likely steel frame inside." These features make it quite similar to the structure found in the Utah desert. However, the newspaper noted that unlike its Utah counterpart, the monolith found on Pine mountain was not rooted in the ground, making it "a little wobbly." It could be possible for someone, therefore, to simply push it over if they so wished to.

The appearance of the Atascadero structure has left people puzzled. The Utah monolith seemed mysterious enough, but the emergence of another structure has added to the conundrum. Compounding this, a similar metal column has since appeared in Romania as well. Reports claim it was discovered before its California sibling on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt. At present, no one seems to know where the structures are coming from or who is responsible for them. The first one, spotted in Utah on November 18, was discovered by state helicopter crews helping wildlife biologists count bighorn sheep. It has since been taken down by a group of four men who reportedly "walked off with the pieces." One of them reportedly stated, "Leave no trace." It was taken down on November 27.

The identity of the Utah monolith's "destroyers" remains an equal mystery. Some people believe the structures could be the work of pranksters inspired by the science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or, they could perhaps even be avid fans of Arthur C Clarke; in one of his books, a monolith appears on planet Earth and imparts wisdom to a tribe of apes. Where will the next one crop up?