List of places with columnar jointed volcanics

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Columnar jointed volcanic rocks exist 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.

• "Organ Pipes" near Twyfelfontein, Namibia^[1]
• Numan, Nigeria^[2]
• Seliana, Tunisia^{[citation needed]}
• Rochester Falls, Mauritius
• Foreke quarry, Foreke Dachang, Cameroon

South Asia[]

India

• St. Mary's Island, Malpe
• Gilbert Hill, Andheri, Mumbai
• forest area of near ( Bagli ) Pipari village of Dewas district (Madhya Pradesh) The rock formation is at Kavadia Pahad (series of seven mountain ranges).^[3]

West Asia[]

Armenia

• Garni Gorge, Armenia
• Near Saint Sarkis Cathedral, Yerevan, Armenia

Turkey

• Basalt Rocks Natural Monument, Boyabat, Sinop Province,^[4] Turkey

Middle East[]

Iran

• Maku, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
• Mount Damavand, Iran
• Sarbisheh, Iran

Syria

• Hexagons pool, Golan Heights, Syria

East Asia[]

China

• Heiyuhe Columnar Joints (黑鱼河柱状节理) [Xianrenqiao (仙人桥)], Longchuan River (龙川江) & Black Fish River, Tengchong
• 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.
• Tongpan Basalt (桶盤玄武岩石柱), Tongpan Island and Hujing Island (Table island, 虎井嶼), Penghu Islands
• The Whale Cave, on the seashore, in Penghu County

Japan

• Natsudomari Peninsula, Hiranai, Aomori
• Kawazu 7 waterfalls area, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka
• Tōjinbō, Mikuni, Fukui
• Genbudō, Toyooka, Hyōgo
• Takachiho-kyo gorge, Takachiho, Miyazaki
• Keya no Oto, Itoshima, Fukuoka
• Tatami-ishi, Kumejima, Okinawa

Mongolia

• Kharandaa Khad in Taishir district, on Zavkhan River

Russia

• Chukchi Peninsula in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
• Cape Stolbchatiy, Kuril Islands, Russia^[5]

South Korea

• Jusangjeolli, Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South Korea

Southeast Asia[]

Indonesia

• Gunung Padang Megalithic Site in West Java is also a manmade archaeological site.

Malaysia

• In Teck Guan Cocoa Village and in Giram River, Kampung Balung Cocos Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Philippines

• Dunsulan Falls in Mount Samat, Pilar, Bataan^[6][7]
• Bulingan Falls in Lamitan, Basilan^[8]

Thailand

• Mon Hin Kong (Thai: ม่อนหินกอง), in a mountainous area of the Phi Pan Nam Range near Na Phun, Wang Chin District, Phrae Province, Thailand^[9]

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: Ghềnh Đá Dĩa), , Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province, Vietnam
• (13°13′32″N 109°18′32″E / 13.225638°N 109.308770°E / 13.225638; 109.308770) (Vietnamese: Hòn Yến)- , Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province
• (13°11′48″N 109°09′03″E / 13.196571°N 109.150737°E / 13.196571; 109.150737) (Vietnamese: Thác Vực Hồm) - , Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province
• (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
• (14°20′03″N 108°40′50″E / 14.334100°N 108.680464°E / 14.334100; 108.680464) (Vietnamese: Thác Dơi) - , Vĩnh Thạnh District, Bình Định Province
• (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

Central America[]

El Salvador

• Cascada Los Tercios, Suchitoto
• Concepción waterfall, Aculco

Europe[]

Faroe Islands

• Froðba, Hov
• Hvalba and Trongisvágur, Suðuroy

France

• Thueyts, Jaujac and Fabras, Ardèche
• Saint-Flour, Cantal
• Chilhac
• Saint-Arcons
• Prades
• Saint-Clément
• Moulin-Béraud
• La Tour-d'Auvergne
• Bort-les-Orgues
• Scandola Nature Reserve, Corsica

Germany

• Linz am Rhein, Mendig, Mayen, Rhineland-Palatinate
• Hoher Hagen (Dransfeld), Lower Saxony
• Rhön, North Bavaria
• Stolpen, Saxony
• Scharfenstein, Hesse
• Weiselberg, Saarland

Greenland

• Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island^[10]

Hungary

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

Iceland

• Aldeyjarfoss, Þingeyjarsveit
• Borgarvirki
• , Kirkjubæjarklaustur
• Gerðuberg
• Hellnahraun near Arnarstapi, Snæfellsbær
• , Jökulsárgljúfur
• , Kirkjubæjarklaustur
• , Austur-Húnavatnssýsla
• Litlanesfoss, Fljótsdalshreppur
• Reynisdrangar and Reynisfjara, Vík í Mýrdal
• Stuðlagil, East of Iceland
• Svartifoss
• Svartifoss, Skaftafell

Italy

• Alcantara River Gorges, Sicily
• Cyclopean Isles, Sicily
• Motta Sant'Anastasia neck, Sicily
• Lake Bolsena, Lazio
• Seiser Alm, South Tyrol

Portugal

• Rocha dos Bordões cliffs, Flores, Azores
• , Porto Santo^[11]
• , Mafra

Sardinia

• , Guspini
• , Cuglieri
• , Villaurbana

Slovakia

• Šomoška

Spain

• Punta Baja, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Andalusia
• Castellfollit de la Roca, Girona
• Fruiz, Biscay^[12]
• Pitón volcánico de Cancarix, Albacete
• Los Órganos, La Gomera, Canary Islands^[13]

United Kingdom

• Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
• The islands of Canna, Eigg, and Muck, Scotland
• The northern part of the Isle of Skye, Scotland
• The Isle of Mull and the nearby beach of Morvern, Scotland
• Samson's ribs, Scotland
• Fingal's Cave and Staffa, Scotland
• Ulva, Scotland

Other

• , Kamenický Šenov, Czech Republic^[14]
• , Česká Kamenice, Czech Republic
• Sioni, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia
• Milos, Greece

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

North America[]

Canada

• North Mountain, Nova Scotia
• Grand Manan Island (western shorelines), New Brunswick
• Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia
• Cardiff Mountain, Chilcotin Plateau, British Columbia
• Keremeos Columns, Keremeos, British Columbia
• Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia (Moul Falls, Dragon's Tongue, Helmcken Falls)
• Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia
• Kelowna, British Columbia (Mount Boucherie, Spion Kopje)
• Devils Woodpile, British Columbia (Cathedral Provincial Park)
• Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
• Simpson Island, Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, Rossport, Ontario
• Tow Hill, British Columbia
• Level Mountain, British Columbia

Caribbean

• Pain de sucre (sugar bread) Îles des Saintes

United States

• Block Mountain, Montana (along the lower Big Hole River)
• Boiling Pots, Hilo, Hawaii (exposed by the Wailuku River)
• Cascade Range, Oregon, in Eugene and southeast of Molalla
• Columbia Plateau, Washington
• , Stanislaus National Forest, California
• Compton Peak in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia^[15]
• Devils Postpile National Monument, California
• Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
• Elk River Falls, Idaho
• Hughes Mountain, Missouri
• Hyalite Falls, Gallatin Mountain Range, Montana
• Whiterock Canyon, New Mexico, various cliffs and mesas from Otowi to Cochiti.
• Latourell Falls, Oregon
• Mount Tom (Massachusetts)
• Palisades Sill, New Jersey and New York, along the Hudson River
• Paul Bunyan's Woodpile, Juab County, Utah^[16]
• Sheepeater Cliff & multiple other areas in Yellowstone National Park
• Spokane, Washington (W Airport Dr. onramp)
• , Lake Tahoe, California
• Sweetwater Canyon, Madison County, Montana
• Turtleback Mountain, Moultonborough, New Hampshire
• Whatcom County, Washington^[17]

Mexico

• Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla in Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo
• in Cuernavaca, Morelos^[18]
• in Mascota, Jalisco

Oceania[]

Australia

• Bombo Latite, Bombo, New South Wales
• Narooma Basalt, Narooma, New South Wales
• Fingal Head, New South Wales
• Battery Rock Rest Area, Located on the Golden Highway, 15 kilometres southeast of Merriwa and 19 kilometres northwest of Sandy Hollow on the western side of the highway.^[19] NSW
• Sawn Rocks, Mount Kaputar National Park, New South Wales^[20]
• Glass House Mountains, Queensland
• Burleigh Head National Park, Queensland
• Mount Scoria Conservation Park, Thangool, Queensland^[21]
• Ben Lomond National Park, Tasmania
• Cape Raoul, Tasmania
• Ruined Castle, Falls Creek, Victoria^[22]
• Organ Pipes National Park, Victoria
• Barfold Gorge, Campaspe River, Victoria
• Black Point, D'Entrecasteaux National Park, Western Australia
• Wyalup-Rocky Point, Bunbury, Western Australia^[23]

Federated States of Micronesia

• , Pohnpei, Caroline Islands

New Zealand

• Blackhead and Second Beach, Dunedin^[24]
• Chatham Islands
• The Organ Pipes, Mount Cargill, Dunedin^[25]
• Mt Somers^[26]
• Bridal Veil Falls (Waikato), Raglan

South America[]

• Ancud Volcanic Complex, Chile
• Mocho Volcano, Chile
• Pino Hachado Caldera, Neuquén Province, Argentina
• Pedras do Cambira, Apucarana, Brazil

Mars[]

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).

• Marte Vallis^[27]

Uses[]

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.

Gallery[]

• 

  Engraving of a basalt formation; from: Alberto Fortis, Della valle vulcanico-marina di Roncà nel territorio veronese (1778)

• 

  Basalt rocks near Detunata Goală east of Bucium, Romania

• 

  Basalt rocks on the Hirtstein in the Ore Mountains

• 

  The Bühren Organ Pipes

• 

  Basalt columns of Porto Santo, Archipelago of Madeira

• 

  Garni Gorge, Armenia

References[]