Columnar jointing occurs in many types of igneous rocks (e.g. basalt, andesite, rhyolite, tuff), and forms as the rock cools and contracts. Columnar jointing can occur in cooling lava flows and …

When they form long, straight columns, these are called colonnade. When they have more irregular shapes that look like they’ve been pushed or morphed, it’s called entablature. Basalt …

Apr 18, 2023 · Columnar jointing is most commonly found in basaltic lava flows, but it also occurs in lava flows of other compositions, pyroclastic flow deposits (ignimbrites), in some lava …

Columnar jointing forms in lava flows, sills, dikes, ignimbrites (ashflow tuffs), and shallow intrusions of all compositions. Most columns are straight with parallel sides and diameters from …

Nov 21, 2024 · Description of scientific article: To begin answering this question, I read about columnar basalt joints in a review article by Goehring and Morris (2008). Relating to my …

Nov 18, 2025 · Columnar basalt formations look man-made, but their perfect hexagonal shapes form naturally as lava cools and cracks. Learn how they form, where they occur, and why they …

The photo groups that follow show examples of sites around the world where columns have formed as a result of cooling lavas or tuffs. The differences in styles of the joints reflect …

May 26, 2023 · Columnar Basalts form by cracking when igneous rock rapidly cools after being emplaced. They constitute some of the most unique and awe-inspiring geological features we …

Oct 26, 2025 · Columnar basalt is a type of igneous rock formed from the cooling and solidification of lava flows. As the lava cools, it contracts and cracks, often forming closely …

Columnar basalt is a type of igneous rock formed from the cooling and solidification of lava flows. As the lava cools, it contracts and cracks, often forming closely packed polygonal columns, …