This #underwater rock formation found in the #deepsea of the #PacificRemoteIslandsMarineNationalMonument is known as columnar jointing. Here you see #basalt rock formed from rapidly cooling #magma during an #eruption 80-100 million years ago. The columns form due to stress as the #lava cools and contracts. Once the crack develops it continues to grow perpendicular to the surface of the flow. Located south of the #HawaiianIsland archipelago in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean, the Monument is f

Columnar joints are fascinating natural rock formations that occur when volcanic lava or magma cools and contracts. As the molten rock cools, it shrinks and cracks, forming long, geometric columns — typically with hexagonal shapes. These joints often appear in basalt and can be seen in famous sites like Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland or Devils Postpile in California. The columns usually stand vertically and can be several meters tall, creating a dramatic, almost man-made appearance in the