View allAll Photos Tagged BasaltColumns
Staffa is an island in the Inner Hebrides in Argyll & Bute. It's best known for its basalt columns and sea caves.
The building is distorted by perspective in this photo. It is orientated east and west, is 67 feet long by 20 feet wide, with walls less than three feet think - quite thin for a fortified house. It apparently stood two floors high, although it looks to me as though there was a 3rd, perhaps an attic, at the west end anyway. It dates to the 17th century.
(Note the eroded columnar basalt in the background.)
© Chris Ibbotson Photography 2014
Another shot which accompanies my recent "Dusk at the Causeway" series. Never in my short photographic life have I experienced such an amazing sunset as I did that evening. This was also my first evening out with my somewhat expensive new Lee Filters and I was so pleased to get a lot of great images.
The Giants Causeway was formed some 60-65 million years ago when molten lava, during intense volcanic activity, cooled and shrank in successive lava flows when hitting the ocean. This resulted in both vertical and horizontal contraction forming 40000 hexagonal basalt columns up to 12m in height.
Legend would tell you that giant Finn MacCool built the Causeway to Scotland to fight Scottish giant Benandonner.
To purchase this photo as a print please use this link:
Reynisfjara black sand beach, Iceland
From the beach you have a view to the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. These bizarre looking rock pillars are said to be petrified trolls that were caught outside at sunrise and frozen in time, but some strongly believe that they’re actually basalt columns that were once part of the extensive shoreline cliffs that remained standing while other parts were battered down by the ocean.
Cline River Photography, Photo by Edwina Podemski.
View or purchase items from our portfolio at: www.clineriverphotography.com
Reynisfjara black sand beach, Iceland
Along Reynisfjara are the stunning Hálsanefshellir sea cave and the Gardar cliff, which is composed of dark basalt columns that some say resemble a pyramid or organ pipes.
Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption (around 50 to 60 million years ago). Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.
Iceland has a fair share of geological oddities. This "floor" of basalt columns go by the name of Kirkjugólf, or "church floor" in english.
It is situated at a little place called Kirkjubæjarklaustur (easy, right?), which do have ties to church history. The name itself translates into Church+Farm+Cloister. At 120 inhabitants it's a small place, but significant enough for an sparsely populated area.
History is rich though. Since 1186 a site for Benedictine nuns. And being on Iceland and all, local geographical names feature stories about them. Systrafall (The waterfall of the sisters) and Systravatn (Sister's water) tells about them. And it wouldn't be Iceland, if not for some drama and folklore. The Systrastapi (Sister's rock) is the name of the place where two of the nuns were buried after being burned at the stake. One of the nuns for being accused of selling her soul to the devil, and the other for blasting the pope. After the reformation, the latter ones crime was seen in a different light though, and folk stories tell that flowers then bloomed on her grave - but not on that grave of the other one...
Being Iceland again, really is a fascinating place, not only religious feuds brings action and stories. In 1783 the village was threatened by an eruption of the nearby Lagagigar volcanoes. While the lava flowed towards them, the pastor of the local church delivered what became known as the "fire sermon". According to the legend this sermon stopped the lava flow, and the village was spared at the last moment....
Reynisfjara black sand beach, Iceland
Black volcanic sands, smooth pebbles, unique rock formations, overall moody atmosphere and huge waves crashing on the shore!
Location
Ganh Da Dia is a small area of interlocking basalt columns sitting at the coast of Tuy An District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam, which is about 600 km from Ho Chi Minh City. The special rock formation comprises of round and pentagon dishes, stacking on top one another hence its name "Ganh Da Dia" means dish rock promotory in vietnamese. According to scientists, this extrusive volcanic rock was a result of an ancient volcanic eruption, caused by the fast cooling of lava at the surface of the sea. There is another site like this in Ireland and that is the Giant's Causeway.
Time
I arrived before sunrise at 4:00 am when it was still dark. There was a rain on the night before and I was worry that the sun might not come out due to lots of clouds in the sky. However, it finally started to glow and the sunrise was nothing short of a fantastic light show.
Techniques
2-stop hard step grad ND filter for darkening the brighter sky and bringing it into balance with the darker foreground rock.
10-Stop solid ND filter for lengthening the exposure time, which turned the water into a silky smooth surface.
Circular polarizer filter for increasing the overall color saturation and and making the sea surface in the foreground to be semi-transparent.
Hyperfocal distance focusing at 1.6m for fullframe 16mm at f/5.6
Single file captured in raw and processed in Lightroom.
Annar göngudagur af fjórum í Hamarsfirði og nágrannasveitum. Að þessu sinni var gengið inn Hofsdal í Álftafirði og að Stórafossi, hátt í 18km leið fram og til baka.
Day 2/4 on a hiking tour in Eastfjords of Iceland. The day´s project was an 18km out and back trek to Stórifoss waterfall in Álftafjörður. There were some beautiful columnar basalt formations in this cliff.
I really didn’t get to explore and photograph the basalt as much as I would have liked because the skua kept attacking me with a vengeance. I covered my head with my fleece jacket and cursed myself for leaving my umbrella in the car. They sliced across my head more times than I can count but as far as I can tell, they didn’t actually cut me open. It hurt, though, and it was unnerving, so I finally yelled, “Okay, okay! I’m leaving! Jesus Christ!” and stomped back to the car.
Cline River Photography, Photo by Edwina Podemski.
View or purchase items from our portfolio at: www.clineriverphotography.com
Kirkjugolfid, The Church Floor; east of Kirkjubaejarklaustur village, Iceland
The basalt columns were formed when lava cooled and contracted, cracking the rock. When this happened, the lava broke apart evenly, creating the distinctive hexagonal shape.
I really didn’t get to explore and photograph the basalt as much as I would have liked because the skua kept attacking me with a vengeance. I covered my head with my fleece jacket and cursed myself for leaving my umbrella in the car. They sliced across my head more times than I can count but as far as I can tell, they didn’t actually cut me open. It hurt, though, and it was unnerving, so I finally yelled, “Okay, okay! I’m leaving! Jesus Christ!” and stomped back to the car.
I really didn’t get to explore and photograph the basalt as much as I would have liked because the skua kept attacking me with a vengeance. I covered my head with my fleece jacket and cursed myself for leaving my umbrella in the car. They sliced across my head more times than I can count but as far as I can tell, they didn’t actually cut me open. It hurt, though, and it was unnerving, so I finally yelled, “Okay, okay! I’m leaving! Jesus Christ!” and stomped back to the car.
My daughter and I met up about halfway between our homes on Sunday for lunch and to take photos . Neither of us had been to Fingal Head before but it was a beautiful and interesting spot. Most of our attention was focused on the basalt columns of the headland.
The Giant's Causeway (known as Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFomhórach in Irish and tha Giant's Causey in Ulster-Scots) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.
Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland.
Around 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred. Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillar-like structures, which are also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases the horizontal fracture has resulted in a bottom face that is convex while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. The size of the columns is primarily determined by the speed at which lava from a volcanic eruption cools.
The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau which formed during the Paleogene.
According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant.
The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), from the Fenian Cycle of Gaelic mythology, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. In another, Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn could not follow.
Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.
Svartifoss (Black Fall) is a waterfall in Skaftafell National Park in Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park. It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which gave rise to its name. Other well-known columnar jointing formations are seen at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, Devil's Tower in Wyoming, USA and on the island of Staffa in Scotland.
The base of this waterfall is noteworthy for its sharp rocks. New hexagonal column sections break off faster than the falling water wears down the edges.
These basalt columns have provided inspiration for Icelandic architects, most visibly in the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík, and also the National Theatre.
The panorama image of beautiful Aldeyjafoss Waterfall, Northern Iceland. The water fall down from the basalt rock cliff, beautiful turquoise color water with stunning texture of water surface.
Una de las leyendas irlandesa cuenta que estas piedras fueron colocadas por un gigante irlandés para armar un puente hasta Escocia y pelear con otro gigante escocés que le caía muy mal. El gigante irlandés se quedó dormido en el camino, y el gigante escocés aprovecho el puente para cruzar de Escocia a Irlanda para derrotar a su adversario. La esposa del gigante irlandés al ver que su oponente era mas fuerte que su esposo, decidió disfrazarlo de bebe. Al gigante escocés ver que el bebe era tan grande pensó que el papá lo seria mucho mas y huyo pisando muy fuerte las piedras, estas se hundieron en el mar impidiendo que el gigante volviera a Escocia.
La ciencia dice que estas rocas se formaron del enfriamiento rápido de la lava de un volcán que hizo erupción hace 60 millones de años.
Diganme loca pero yo personalmente creo que esto otro resultado de la Ingeniería Alienigena en nuestro planeta, porque es impresionante lo exactamente que están colocadas y formadas estas rocas.
De lo que si estoy segura es que es uno de esos lugares del mundo que uno tiene que conocer antes de morir, es tan espectacular que fue declarado como Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco.
Kirkjugolfid, The Church Floor; east of Kirkjubaejarklaustur village, Iceland
The basalt columns were formed when lava cooled and contracted, cracking the rock. When this happened, the lava broke apart evenly, creating the distinctive hexagonal shape.
The Chimney Stacks - weathered low columns created by the displacement of basalt boulders.
The Giant's Causeway (known as Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFomhórach in Irish and tha Giant's Causey in Ulster-Scots) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.
Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland.
Around 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred. Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillar-like structures, which are also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases the horizontal fracture has resulted in a bottom face that is convex while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. The size of the columns is primarily determined by the speed at which lava from a volcanic eruption cools.
The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau which formed during the Paleogene.
According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant.
The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), from the Fenian Cycle of Gaelic mythology, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. In another, Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn could not follow.
Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.
Arnarstapi, Iceland
Bárður Snæfellsás was the settler of this area, half a troll and half a man, but his mother was human.
Basalt columns. The Village of Vik, Iceland. In 1991 this black sand beach that was ranked as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.
Colunas de basalto. A vila de Vik, Islândia. Em 1991 esta praia de areia preta que foi classificada como uma das dez mais belas praias não tropicais do mundo.