Basalt columns are natural pillars made of hardened lava, caused by the contraction of volcanic rock as it cools. The columns are often shaped like hexagons, pentagons, or octagons due to the "rapid"-i.e., over the course of a century-cooling process, and they can often form as vertical cliffs or terraced steps, sometimes descending directly into the ocean.
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
The Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla are tall columnar joints of basalt rock near Huasca de Ocampo in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, that line a ravine through which water runs from the San Antonio Dam. This ravine area was part of the Santa María Regla Hacienda and was first promoted by Alexander von Humboldt in 1803.
Devils Postpile National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located near Mammoth Mountain in Eastern California. The monument protects Devils Postpile, an unusual rock formation of columnar basalt, “all closely and perfectly fitted together like a vast mosaic.” The monument encompasses 798 acres (323 ha) and includes two main attractions :
Fingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, known for its natural acoustics. The National Trust for Scotland owns the cave as part of a national nature reserve. It became known as Fingal's Cave after the eponymous hero of an epic poem by 18th-century Scots poet-historian James Macpherson.
Svartifoss (Icelandic for "black waterfall") is a waterfall in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park. It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which gave rise to its name. The base of this waterfall is noteworthy for its sharp rocks. New hexagonal column sections break off faster than the falling water wears down the edges.
The lava flow of Mt. Aso formed the beautiful columnar shaped valley of Takachiho Gorge. The spot you can see waterfalls and the columnar shaped valley together is rare in the world. Takachiho Gorge is a narrow chasm cut through the rock by the Gokase River.
Cape Stolbchaty Basalt columns partly submerged in the sea. Quite similar to Giant's Causeway are the cliffs at Cape Stolbckatiy on Kunashir Island, between Russia and Japan. The rocks crack in the same hexagonal shape as the UK country's star attraction, and they create precipitous, 150-foot-tall seaside cliffs three times the height of Giant's Causeway.
The so-called Organ Pipes are situated near the small inselberg of Burnt Mountain, west of the town of Khorixas in Namibia. They are a rock formation that comprises a group of columnar basalts which resemble organ pipes. The Organ Pipes were formed about 150 million years ago as the result of the intrusion of liquid lava into a slate rock formation, which was exposed over time by erosion.
Cape Raoul is a rural locality and a natural feature in the local government area of Tasman in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 13 kilometres south of the town of Nubeena. The 2016 census determined a population of nil for the state suburb of Cape Raoul.
The Hexagon Pool is a natural pool by the Meshushim River in the Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve, the central Golan Heights. The pool, at the bottom of a canyon, is named after the shape of the hexagonal basalt columns that make up its walls. This geological formation was created by the slow cooling of layers of lava flows over a long period. When the lava solidified and cooled, it was split into polygonal shapes due to its contraction.
Formed from basalt columns, these natural rock columns are made up of solidified lava flows, caused by the contraction of volcanic rock as it cools. Columns often have a hexagonal, pentagonal or octagonal cross-section due to rapid cooling. When the lava flows into the sea, it will cool down suddenly and will create basalt columns with a spectacular structure...Is one of the products of the lava flow when it cools down suddenly, similar to the famous Giant's Causeway landmark in Northern Ireland, although the area of Da Dia Cliff is smaller, it has many similar features as in the above place.
