Гигантские базальтовые колонны в каньоне Студлагиль в Исландии.

Найдено в инстаграм. Giant basalt columns at Stuðlagil Canyon in Iceland. Basalt is a volcanic rock formed from the superheated magma that emerges as lava during an eruption. The iron and magnesium-rich basalt lava cools and contracts very quickly once exposed to the surface air and hardens as it solidifies.ㅤ Iceland basalt columns are the result of this rapid cooling process that changes the chemical makeup and appearance of the lava. Basalt volcanic rock has a special geometrical shape due to this change in composition. These basalt pillars and hexagonal rock formations you see have a special feature called columnar jointing. This is what gives each basalt column their unmistakable hexagonal shape and makes them so neat to look at.ㅤ It’s the same natural process that gives the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland its rugged appearance. The geological wonder of basalt rocks has even inspired Icelandic architecture. Awesome sight, isn’t it?