What is the distinctive structure all these have in common? They often are composed of basaltic lava flows that cooled to form “columnar basalt.” Columnar basalt exhibits massive, vertically standing columns. Although usually hexagonal (six-sided), such columns are polygonal (multi-sided) and may have anywhere from three to 12 sides. They are often so uniform in size and shape that they seem to have been artificially constructed, like giant columns of poured concrete. But these columns most definitely were not crafted by the hands of humans!
Rather, they are natural formations resulting from the cooling of thick outpourings of lava. Under certain conditions, lava contracts as it cools.
Esta historia es de la edición December 2020 de Rock&Gem Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2020 de Rock&Gem Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside
Agatized CORAL
Florida's Collectible State Stone
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.
Collecting Staurolite
Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia
Pecos Valley Diamonds
New Mexico's Ancient Attraction
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.
Turquoise in the American Southwest
A Water & Sky Souvenir
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.