List of places with columnar basalt
Encyclopedia
Columnar jointed volcanics
exists on many places on earth. Perhaps the most famous basalt flow in the world is the Giant's Causeway
on the northern coast of Ireland
, in which the vertical joints form polygonal columns and give the impression of having been artificially constructed.
An ancient 13th century religious complex, called Nan Madol
, was built on the Pacific island of Pohnpei
, using columnar basalt quarried from various locations on the island. The massive ruins remain to this day.
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it is an igneous rock of volcanic origin...
exists on many places on earth. Perhaps the most famous basalt flow in the world is the Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...
on the northern coast of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in which the vertical joints form polygonal columns and give the impression of having been artificially constructed.
An ancient 13th century religious complex, called Nan Madol
Nan Madol
Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about AD 1500. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. The city...
, was built on the Pacific island of Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, using columnar basalt quarried from various locations on the island. The massive ruins remain to this day.
Asia
- Heiyuhe Columnar Joints (黑鱼河柱状节理) [Xianrenqiao (仙人桥)], Longchuan River (龙川江) & Black Fish River, Tengchong, China
- Tongpan Basalt (桶盤玄武岩石柱), Tongpan Island and Hujing Island (Table island, 虎井屿), Penghu Islands
- Cape Stolbchatiy, Kuril Islands, Russia
- Basalt Island area, Hong Kong; including High Island Reservoir area, Hong Kong SAR, China; although the High Island Reservoir is not basalt but a type of acidic rhyolite ¾ dacite porphyroclastic lava. It is rich in potash feldspar and quartz phenocrysts.
- Hexagons pool, Golan Heights
- JusangjeolliJusangjeolliThe Jusangjeolli cliff is a spectacular volcanic rock formation at the southern coast of Jeju Island, South Korea. It is similar to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland....
, Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... - St. Mary's Island, MalpeMalpeMalpe is a natural port about six kilometers to the west of Udupi, Karnataka, India. An important port and fishing harbor on the Karnataka coast, Malpe is situated at the mouth of the Udyavara river. It is a suburb in Udupi city and is administerd by Udupi City Municipality...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - Gilbert HillGilbert HillGilbert Hill is a monolith column of black basalt rock in Andheri, in Mumbai, India. The rock has a sheer vertical face and was formed when molten lava was squeezed out of the Earth's clefts during the Mesozoic Era about 65 million years ago. During that era, molten lava had spread around most of...
, Andheri, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Europe
- Iceland
- Dverghamrar, KirkjubæjarklausturKirkjubæjarklausturThe village Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a village in the south of Iceland on the hringvegur between Vík í Mýrdal and Höfn. It is part of the municipality of Skaftárhreppur with approximately 120 inhabitants.-Location:...
, Iceland - Hljóðaklettar, Jökulsárgljúfur, Iceland
- AldeyjarfossAldeyjarfossThe Aldeyjarfoss waterfall is situated in the north of Iceland at the northern part of the Sprengisandur Highland Road which means it is to be found within the Highlands of Iceland....
, ÞingeyjarsveitÞingeyjarsveitÞingeyjarsveit is a municipality located in Iceland.The total area is 5,424 km². As of December 1, 2005, it had a total population of 686, by January 2011 it had increased to 944....
, Iceland - Kálfshamarsvík, Austur-HúnavatnssýslaAustur-HúnavatnssýslaAustur-Húnavatnssýsla is a county of Iceland. It is located in the Norðurland vestra region of the country....
, Iceland - ReynisdrangarReynisdrangarReynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall near the village Vík í Mýrdal, southern Iceland.Legend says that the stacks originated when two trolls dragged a three-masted ship to land unsuccessfully and when daylight broke they became needles of rock.-External links:*...
, Vík í MýrdalVík í MýrdalThe village of Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on the main ring road around the island, around by road SSE of Reykjavík....
, Iceland - SvartifossSvartifossSvartifoss is a waterfall in Skaftafell National Park in Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park. It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which give rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow which cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to...
, Skaftafell National ParkSkaftafell National ParkSkaftafell National Park was a national park, situated between Kirkjubæjarklaustur, typically referred to as Klaustur, and Höfn in the south of Iceland. On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park....
, Iceland
- Dverghamrar, Kirkjubæjarklaustur
- British Isles
- Giant's CausewayGiant's CausewayThe Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...
, Northern Ireland - The islands of CannaCanna, ScotlandCanna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is long and wide...
, EiggEiggEigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, and MuckMuck, ScotlandMuck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach...
, Scotland - The northern part of the Isle of SkyeSkyeSkye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, Scotland - The Isle of MullIsle of MullThe Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
and the nearby beach of MorvernMorvernMorvern is a peninsula in south west Lochaber, on the west coast of Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne . The highest point is the summit of the Corbett Creach Bheinn which reaches in elevation....
, Scotland - Samson's ribs, Scotland
- Fingal's CaveFingal's CaveFingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonally jointed basalt columns, similar in structure to the Giant's Causeway in Northern...
and StaffaStaffaStaffa from the Old Norse for stave or pillar island, is an island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Vikings gave it this name as its columnar basalt reminded them of their houses, which were built from vertically placed tree-logs....
, Scotland - UlvaUlvaUlva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Tertiary basalt rocks, which is formed into columns in places.Ulva has...
, Scotland
- Giant's Causeway
- Italy
- Alcantara RiverAlcântara RiverThe Alcântara River is a river of Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil.-References:*...
Gorges, SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy - Cyclopean IslesCyclopean IslesThe Cyclopean Isles, noted for their rows of basaltic columns piled one above another, lie not far from Mount Etna off the eastern coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.-Geology:...
, Sicily, Italy
- Alcantara River
- Other
- Thunderstruck Rocks (Detunatele), Romania
- Panská Skála, Czech Republic
- Rocha dos Bordões cliffs, Flores, AzoresAzoresThe Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
- Linz am RheinLinz am RheinLinz am Rhein is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the river Rhine near Remagen, approx. 25 km southeast of Bonn and has about 6,000 inhabitants...
, MendigMendigMendig is a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approx. 6 km north-east of Mayen, and 25 km west of Koblenz.Mendig is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Mendig....
and MayenMayenMayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
, Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
/GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Garni GorgeGarni GorgeThe Garni Gorge is situated 23 km east of Yerevan, Armenia, just below the village with the same name. On a promontory above the gorge, the 1st century AD Garni temple may be seen. Along the sides of the gorge are cliff walls of well preserved basalt columns, carved out by the Goght River. This...
, ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
North America
- Canada
- North MountainNorth Mountain (Nova Scotia)North Mountain is a narrow southwest-northeast trending volcanic mountain range on the mainland portion of southwestern Nova Scotia, stretching from Brier Island to Cape Split...
, Nova Scotia, Canada - Cardiff Mountain, Chilcotin Plateau, British Columbia, Canada
- Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia, Canada
- North Mountain
- United States
- Devil's Postpile, California
- Devil's Tower, Devils Tower National MonumentDevils Tower National MonumentDevils Tower is an igneous intrusion or laccolith located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River...
, Wyoming - Columbia PlateauColumbia PlateauThe Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Columbia River...
, Washington - The east side of the Cascade RangeCascade RangeThe Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
portion - Turtleback Mountain, Moultonborough, New Hampshire
- Mexico
- Prismas Basálticos in Hidalgo, Mexico
- Salto Chico in Cuernavaca, Mexico
Oceania
- Organ Pipes National ParkOrgan Pipes National ParkThe Organ Pipes National Park , a protected area, is located in Victoria, Australia. It was established with the focus on conservation of the native flora and fauna, and preservation of the geological features in the Jackson Creek, a part of the Maribyrnong valley, north-west of Melbourne...
, Victoria, Australia - Chatham Islands, New Zealand
- Narooma Basalt, Narooma, New South WalesNarooma, New South WalesNarooma is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway. The name is said to be derived from the Aboriginal word meaning ‘clear blue waters’. At the 2006 census, Narooma had a population of 3,100 people.Montague Island, a National...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - Fingal Point, NSW, Australia
- Mount Scoria Conservation ParkMount Scoria Conservation ParkMount Scoria Conservation Park is a park near Thangool, Queensland in Central Queensland, Australia, about south-east of Biloela. It is within the traditional lands of the Gangulu aboriginal people. It features Mount Scoria, a mountain whose peak is about above the surrounding plains...
, Thangool, QueenslandThangool, QueenslandThangool is a town in central Queensland, Australia. The town is located in the Banana Shire Local Government Area, north west of the state capital, Brisbane and south of the Shire administrative centre, Biloela. The name Thangool means Possum. At the 2006 census, Thangool had a population of...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - Pwisehn Malek, PohnpeiPohnpeiNot to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, Federated States of MicronesiaFederated States of MicronesiaThe Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
South America
- Ancud Volcanic ComplexAncudAncud is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region .-Geography:...
- Mocho VolcanoMocho-ChoshuencoMocho-Choshuenco is a glacier covered compound stratovolcano in the Andes of Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is made of the twin volcanoes Choshuenco in the northwest and the Mocho in the southeast...
, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... - Pino Hachado CalderaPino Hachado PassPino Hachado Pass is a mountain pass through the Andes, joining Chile and Argentina. It is one of the principal passes of the southern Andes, connecting Argentina's route RN-22 and Chile's Route 181-CH....
, Neuquén ProvinceNeuquén ProvinceNeuquén is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Caribbean
- Pain de sucre (sugar bread)Pain de sucre (Les Saintes)Pain de Sucre is a little mountain located on Terre-de-Haut Island on the archipelago of Îles des Saintes with the height of 53 meters...
Îles des SaintesÎles des SaintesThe Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...