Repeated stone columns can look constructed. In volcanic rocks, a system of fractures can develop as the rock cools and contracts. The visible geometry is evidence of physical processes, and its variation is as interesting as its regularity.
Notice the pattern and its exceptions
Look at several adjoining columns rather than the most regular example. Compare the number of sides, the width of each column and the way fractures meet. A diagram often simplifies a pattern to explain the mechanism. A photograph records the irregularities that the simplified drawing leaves out.
Think in three dimensions
What appears to be a pavement from one direction can become a wall of columns from another. The viewing angle changes which part of the structure is visible. Use the gallery to compare a top surface with a side view, and keep the scale of each image in mind.
Separate origin from later change
Cooling can explain the joint pattern, but it does not explain everything in the present scene. Erosion, weathering and the removal of surrounding material affect what is exposed. Ask two separate questions: how did the rock acquire its structure, and how did that structure become visible?
Give the landscape context
A close-up of columns is an engaging puzzle. A wider photograph shows how they sit beside the coast, slope or valley. Both are useful, and neither should substitute for current information about where visitors may walk. A dramatic edge in a photograph is not an invitation to approach it.
Read further
Original interpretive writing for this project. The linked destination guides provide historical context and their own reference lists.
