List of places with columnar jointed volcanics

Polygonal stone columns
Basalt columns seen on Porto Santo Island, Portugal

Columnar jointing of volcanic rocks exists in many places on Earth. Perhaps the most famous basalt lava flow in the world is the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, in which the vertical joints form polygonal columns and give the impression of having been artificially constructed.

Notable columnar jointed volcanics

Africa

  • Bugarama in Rusizi, Rwanda[citation needed] Columnar jointing in Rusizi district, Nzahaha Sector. This may have formed from contractional cooling of basaltic lavas.
  • Foreke Quarry, Foreke Dachang, Cameroon
  • Ikom Columnar Basalt in Cross River State, Nigeria [1]
  • Numan, Nigeria[2]
  • "Organ Pipes" near Twyfelfontein, Namibia[3]
  • Rochester Falls, Mauritius
  • Seliana, Tunisia[citation needed]
  • Isle de la Madeleine, Dakar, Senegal

Asia

Garni Gorge, Armenia
Curved columns of rhyolitic tuff at the Hong Kong High Island Reservoir
Interlocked basaltic columns at the top of Kavadia mountain at Dewas district in India.
Columnar basalts at Cape Stolbchatiy, Kuril Islands, Russia

Armenia

China (mainland)

  • Heiyuhe Columnar Joints (黑鱼河柱状节理) [Xianrenqiao (仙人桥)], Longchuan River (龙川江) & Black Fish River, Tengchong

Hong Kong

  • Basalt Island area, Hong Kong; including High Island Reservoir area, Hong Kong; although the High Island Reservoir is not basalt but rhyolitic tuff, rich in potash feldspar and quartz phenocrysts.

India

In India, columnars are found in several places across the volcanic traps such as 6.5 crore or 65 million years ago (Mya) old deccan traps in South India and 14.5 crore or 145 mya old Rajmahal Traps in Eastern India.

Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
  • Kavadia Pahad columnars: Forest area near Bagli & Pipari village of Dewas District in Madhya Pradesh. The rock formation is at Kavadia Pahad which is a series of seven mountain ranges.[5]
  • Linga columnars: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south of Chhindwara city.
  • Narsinghpur columnar joints in Deccan Basalts near Narsinghpur.
Maharashtra
Telangana

Indonesia

Close up view of stones atop Gunung Padang
Panorama atop Gunung Padang

Iran

Japan

Malaysia

at Kg Balung Cocos, Tawau, Sabah
Basalt Columns exposed along a river in a remote place in Tawau, Malaysia
  • In Teck Guan Cocoa Village and in Giram River, Kampung Balung Cocos Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Mongolia

Philippines

Russia

South Korea

Syria / Israel (disputed)

Meshushim River, with prominent hexagonal basalt columns

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

Vertically jointed columnar basalt of Basalt Rocks Natural Monument in Turkey

Vietnam

The Cliff of Stone Plates (Gành Đá Đĩa) near Tuy Hòa city, Phú Yên Province, Vietnam
  • Da Dia Cliff (13°21′15″N 109°17′38″E / 13.354154°N 109.293812°E / 13.354154; 109.293812) — The Cliff of Stone Plates (Vietnamese: Gành Đá Đĩa), An Ninh Đông Village, Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province, Vietnam
  • Yen Islet (13°13′32″N 109°18′32″E / 13.225638°N 109.308770°E / 13.225638; 109.308770) (Vietnamese: Hòn Yến)- An Hòa Village, Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province
  • Vuc Hom Fall (13°11′48″N 109°09′03″E / 13.196571°N 109.150737°E / 13.196571; 109.150737) (Vietnamese: Thác Vực Hồm) - An Lĩnh Village, Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province
  • Vuc Song Fall (13°11′06″N 109°08′59″E / 13.185074°N 109.149796°E / 13.185074; 109.149796) (Vietnamese: Thác Vực Song) - An Lĩnh Village, Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province
  • Battle Fall (14°20′03″N 108°40′50″E / 14.334100°N 108.680464°E / 14.334100; 108.680464) (Vietnamese: Thác Dơi) - Vĩnh Sơn Village, Vĩnh Thạnh District, Bình Định Province
  • Takon Citadel (14°18′19″N 108°42′12″E / 14.305230°N 108.703357°E / 14.305230; 108.703357) (Vietnamese: Thành đá Tà Kơn) - K8 (old name: Kon Blò), Vĩnh Sơn Village, Vĩnh Thạnh District, Bình Định Province

Europe

Basalt columns in the Rhön, North Bavaria, Germany
Volcanic rock columns, Milos, Greece
Ponta da Ajuda, Azores, Portugal
Basalt rocks near Detunata Goală east of Bucium, Romania
Columnar jointing in the basalt of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
Fingal's Cave, Staffa Island, Scotland

Croatia

  • Rupnica, Papuk Nature Park UNESCO Global Geopark, Croatia

Czech Republic

  • Panská skála, Kamenický Šenov, Czech Republic[15]
  • Zlatý vrch, Česká Kamenice, Czech Republic

Faroe Islands

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

  • Badacsony
  • Bér
  • Szanda
  • Szilváskő
  • Hegyestű
  • Szent-György-hegy
  • Gulács
  • Haláp
  • Hajagos
  • Uzsa

Iceland

Italy

Portugal

Romania

  • Coloanele de bazalt de la Racoș, Romania
  • Thunderstruck Rocks (Detunatele), Romania

Slovakia

  • Šomoška

Spain

Sweden

Ukraine

United Kingdom

North and Central America

Columnar jointing in the basalt of the Pain de sucre (sugar loaf) in les Saintes, Guadeloupe
La Concepción, Aculco, México
Basalt columns in the Mascota River, Mexico
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla in Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo
Columnar basalt at Devil's Postpile in California
Devils Tower, Wyoming

Canada

Costa Rica

  • Bajo Rodriguez, San Lorenzo de San Ramon

El Salvador

  • Cascada Los Tercios, Suchitoto
  • Concepción waterfall, Aculco

Greenland

  • Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island[21]

Guadeloupe

Mexico

Panama

  • Los Ladrillos, Boquete

United States

Oceania

Cape Raoul, Tasmania
Blackhead, Dunedin, New Zealand

Australia

Federated States of Micronesia

New Zealand

  • Blackhead, Dunedin[33] 45°55′55″S 170°25′55″E / 45.93194°S 170.43194°E / -45.93194; 170.43194
  • Bridal Veil Falls, Raglan 37°54′30″S 174°53′45″E / 37.90833°S 174.89583°E / -37.90833; 174.89583
  • Ohira Bay, Chatham Islands[34] 43°48′20″S 176°38′55″W / 43.80556°S 176.64861°W / -43.80556; -176.64861
  • The Organ Pipes, Mount Cargill, Dunedin[35] 45°48′30″S 170°34′00″E / 45.80833°S 170.56667°E / -45.80833; 170.56667
  • Second Beach, Dunedin[33] 45°55′00″S 170°29′05″E / 45.91667°S 170.48472°E / -45.91667; 170.48472
  • Mount Somers / Te Kiekie, Canterbury[36] 43°36′30″S 171°22′30″E / 43.60833°S 171.37500°E / -43.60833; 171.37500

South America

Beyond Earth

Columnar jointed rocks in unnamed crater wall, Marte Vallis region, Mars. Image courtesy of the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, Arizona State University.

Several exposures of columnar jointing have been discovered on the planet Mars by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, which is carried by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Notable among them are formations in the Marte Vallis.[37]

Uses

A view of Gunung Padang

A likely Hindu-origin ancient site at Gunung Padang in West Java, Indonesia was built by horizontally laying basalt columns to form terraces on the slope of a hill and creating open-roofed chambers by erecting vertical columns. A now-ruined thirteenth-century religious complex called Nan Madol was built using columnar basalt quarried from various locations on the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia.

Detail of columnar basalt pieces at Nan Madol

Hexagonal basalt was used to build retaining walls by early settlers in some places around Dunedin in New Zealand.

See also

References

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  2. ^ Ntekim, E. E. & Adekeye, J. I. D. (2003). "Petrography and geochemistry of basaltic rocks from the northcentral part of Yola Basin, N.E. Nigeria" (PDF). Nigerian Journal of Pure and Applied Science. 18: 1430–1437. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-25. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  3. ^ Grunert, Nicole (2000). Namibia: Fascination of Geology – A Travel Handbook. Windhoek: Klaus Hess. pp. 73–74. ISBN 99916-747-8-0.
  4. ^ Columnar Basaltic Lava, Coconut Island (St. Mary's Islands), Udupi District, Karnataka, Geological Survey of India.
  5. ^ "Rare rock formation found in Dewas". The Times of India. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  6. ^ Rare basalt columns found in village in Kolhapur, Business Line, 6 Sept 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d Telangana: 6.5 crore-year-old basalt columns discovered in Adilabad forest, Times of India, 9 Aug 2021.
  8. ^ Columnar basalt formations found in Asifabad forests in Telangana, Indian Express, 6 June 2022.
  9. ^ Po, Kimberly (27 April 2014). "H E L L O ♥ K I M M Y : Dunsulan Falls Of Bataan". Hellowkimmy.blogspot.com.
  10. ^ "Bataan Day Trip: Mount Samat and Dunsulan Falls Itinerary". Janegalvez.com. 27 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Bulingan Falls". ChoosePhilippines.com. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Мыс Столбчатый". www.webpark.ru. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  13. ^ ม่อนเสาหินพิศวง Wonderful Mountain Of Colunnar Archived 2012-07-17 at archive.today
  14. ^ Kölbl-Ebert, Martina; Colicchio, Stéphanie (2014). "The Boyabat Basalt Cliffs" (PDF). l'association de la Maison de la Géologie et de l'Environnement de Haute-Alsace. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  15. ^ "Panská skála". Luzicke-hory.cz. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  16. ^ "PSt04 - Pico de Ana Ferreira". geodiversidade.madeira.gov.pt.
  17. ^ Gobierno vasco. "Basaltos de Fruiz" (PDF). Inventario lugares de interés geológico en la comunidad autónoma del País Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  18. ^ La Gomera: basalt cliffs Los Organos, Commons.wikimedia.org
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  20. ^ "Jaw-dropping geology from Strumble Head to Cardigan". National Trust. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  21. ^ Scott, Chris (31 October 2017). "The Grand Canyon of the Arctic Circle". CNN Travel. video by Effie Nidam, Diana Diroy and Chris Scott.
  22. ^ "México Travel Club". www.mexicotravelclub.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  23. ^ Callan Bentley (14 November 2011). "Compton Peak: superb columnar jointing". Mountain Beltway. American Geophysical Union (Blog). Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  24. ^ "Greenstone lava flows - National Park Service, Shenandoah National Park, Learn About the Park". NPS.gov. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  25. ^ "GeoSights: Paul Bunyan's Woodpile, Juab County – Utah Geological Survey". geology.utah.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  26. ^ [1] Geology of the New York City Regions
  27. ^ File:Columnar basalt.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
  28. ^ "Merriwa NSW Free Rest Areas". highwaytraveller.com.au.
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  30. ^ Mount Scoria culture
  31. ^ Ruined Castle - Panoramio
  32. ^ "Bunbury Basalt". Western Australian Museum. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
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  34. ^ "Basalt columns". chathamislands.co.nz. Tourism Chatham Islands. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  35. ^ "New Zealand Tramper - A community for good, keen trampers and hikers". Tramper.nz. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  36. ^ The Pinnacles, Mt Somers on flickr
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