Amazing Scenery at the Giant’s Causeway
Most people would be walking down the main walking path which is up close to the sea. The Grand Causeway is probably the most popular part since this is also the most spectacular part of the site. This is probably where most of the distinctive hexagonal rock formations have uplifted. There was intense volcanic activity in this area millions of years ago. Over the years, the molten rock has solidified, or probably more accurately, crystallized. The crystals here in this case are rock which have assumed the shape of hexagons for the most part. Remember how snowflakes tend to have hexagonal shapes? This is the same with these rocks.
Hexagonal Columns of the Giant’s Causeway
Over the eons, the rock has been exposed due to tectonic forces and it is not open to us for viewing. Technically these are called columnar jointed volcanics and the rock in this case is basalt. There are several places in the world where these occur and I was surprised that there were quite a few, however, the Giant’s Causeway is probably the most famous of them all, so famous that it is made a world heritage site. You can walk on the columns to explore the area. I know that it seems a bit like trampling all over the heritage site but it seems that the authorities are okay with it. My fear is that what took nature millions of years to form, man just might destroy it in a few years.
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