Extreme Geology: The Giant’s Causeway, Ireland and Staffa, Scotland
→ Credit for photos: one, two, and three.These amazing basalt columns cane be found on Staffa, Scotland, and Giant’s Causeway in Nothern Ireland. These geological structures formed from volcanic activity over 50 mya where the slow cooling of basalt creates the hexagonal columns you see today. The process which creates such stunning hexagonal columns is called “columnar jointing”; a process where the basalt rapidly cools from the outside towards the centre, causing it to contract and form these structures.
I used to live near(ish) to the Giant’s Causeway. It’s absolutely amazing. My Mamma used to tell me the story of how the Giant made the causeway to get to his Lady Love. This isn’t the “correct” legend, but I like it because it used to make me feel so sad; the causeway had been partially swallowed by the sea, so I always thought that the Giant and his lady were trapped there forever.
(via tarteauxfraises)
