Hi fellow nature fans! Tonight's Daily Nature Fix is about one of the more peculiar volcanic formations out there: basalt columns. Basalt is a volcanic rock that is formed when lava cools very rapidly. While in the northern most parts of Northern Ireland, we came upon a section of cliff that was made up of 40+ foot tall stone pillars.
Very interesting formations, indeed. The columns are formed when the thick layer of lava starts to cool. The surface begins to cool fastest, naturally. The near crystalline composition of the rock starts to crack at the surface in hexagonal patterns. These cracks propagate downward as the entire thickness of lava cools down. As the cracks expand downward from the surface, the stress of the 'free standing' column that is being created cause horizontal cracks as well. Basically, you end up with stacks of 'plates', if you will. You can see that in this wall.
This wall was only a couple hundred years away from the sea, which eroded and washed away the surrounding soil over the past several hundred thousand years and exposed so much of these columns. It's also very close to the super popular Giants Causeway, which is an area made up of the very tops of columns like these.
^^^Kylene giving an idea of the size and scale of this wall.
Thanks for reading! I post a nature-themed Daily Nature Fix blog every day. Please upvote if you enjoyed it and resteem if you found it especially interesting! Be sure to follow me @customnature so you'll never miss out on your nature fix! See you tomorrow. - Adam
***Daily Nature Fix is a daily blog showcasing the natural world. It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels.***
Love the photo! Following!
These columns are very monumental and outstanding. Nature is the best artist and architect.
Amazing shots. Upped and following
I like the photographs a lot and enjoyed going through the detailed decsription. Good job!
beautiful shots
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