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The Giant's Causeway is a Northern Ireland coastal landmark of volcanic basalt. Its setting draws travelers and researchers interested in geology and landscape.
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking, mostly hexagonal basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago. This site has been studied for 300 years and greatly influenced the beginnings of the discipline of geology.
It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
Visitors explore the Giant's Causeway to see its unusual basalt columns. The Northern Ireland landmark is a place for geological learning and coastal recreation.
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.
Svartifoss, Skaftafell National Park, Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður, Iceland - March 10, 2011
Svartifoss, or Black Falls, is known for the dark hexagonal columns on the side, and these basalt columns have inspired architects in the designs of the Hallgrímskirkja church and the National Theatre in Reykjavík.
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 base of the waterfall, Svartifoss, or "black falls". Chunks of columnar basalt have been eroded by the water and have fallen from above.
Basalt columns in a famous rock climbing area of Frenchman Coulee, along the Columbia River near Vantage, Washington State, USA
Columnar basalt .. 02 August 2015
Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland N 55.24045 W 6.51182
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt#Columnar_basalt
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We spent a bit over a week exploring southern France. From Lyon, to the Alps, then through Provence before wrapping up in the Ardeche.
These photos are from that trip.
For licensing or usage requests, please reach out directly.
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking, mostly hexagonal basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago. This site has been studied for 300 years and greatly influenced the beginnings of the discipline of geology.
It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
The Organ Pipes rise 20m above Jacksons Creek. They were created by lava flows about one millions years ago. The basalt columns were gradually exposed by erosion along the creek valley.
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking, mostly hexagonal basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago. This site has been studied for 300 years and greatly influenced the beginnings of the discipline of geology.
Sadly, not all visitor appreciate the significance and serenity of the space.
Bombo Headland Quarry is one of the most recognised landmarks in and around Kiama;
It is very popular for photography, particular at sunrise, so I could not miss it when we traveled along the coast.
However, I have mixed feelings about this place. The unusual shape of the cape is the result of many years of basalt quarrying. So for me, this is a place where I can see the destructive results of human intervention - all those broken columns and all that remains of an interesting geological object. Of course, I don't blame people for the industrial activities that have taken place in recent century... It's just a "mixed feeling", and it was hot, midday without clouds, the sun was too bright for photography.
History:
The distinct hexagonal columns formed 270 million years ago when hot lava erupted onto the Earth's surface at a temperature of about 1200 degrees Celsius with rapid cooling. (igneous rock).
European settlers identified the potential in Kiama's basalt deposits rich in magnesium and iron, and constructed quarries, basalt mining began in 1880. This cubed basalt was used to fill the roadways between the tracks on tram and train lines, and also were crushed down to produce "blue metal".
The Bombo Quarry was closed during the Depression years, but was re-opened in 1937. It stayed open until 1941, then closed again until 1944, when it re-opened for a short period one last time.
Stitch of 5 shots.
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.
Captured moments taken during a four day road trip through the southern coast of Iceland.
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Stuðlagil is a section of the canyon that the river Jökulsá á Brú flows through in the Jökuldalur Glacier Valley, that contains Icelands largest collection of basalt columns. It is 500 m long and contains 20-30 m basalt columns on both sides of the river. The canyon is very picturesque with the river with blue/green water flowing through it. The river has a number of waterfalls feeding into it, this is one of them.
Smaller wheel-like (Kuruma) basalt stones with radial columns, nearby the large “Kurumaishi” at cape Hanasaki, Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan.
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.
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.
Iceland Holiday Day Six (Dverghammer, South Iceland)
20km down the road from Núpsstaður was a series of dwarf cliffs of basalt columns, with a little walk around them. Here, Catherine perches on one.
Sea cave created from wave action on the basalt cliffs of Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland [No model releases; available for editorial licensing only]
Captured moments taken during a four day road trip through the southern coast of Iceland.
Learn more on virtualwayfarer.com and reach out directly for usage requests.
The canyon of Jökulsárgljúfur, near Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The walls of the canyon are lined with columnar basalt, formed by lava cooling slowly. The river Jökulsá á Fjöllum flows through the canyon.