Tags
basalt columns, finn mccool, giant's causeway, lava flow, northern ireland, tectonic plates, volcanoes
Here is the follow up of my earlier post on the landscapes at Giant’s Causeway. This one is more about the trademark basalt columns that litter both the cliffside and the shoreline. The first time I saw basalt columns like these was in Iceland. Apparently they are also in Scotland as they were formed by the splitting of the tectonic plates many millions of years ago.
One thing I learned is that the columns do not form due to crystallization. In some regards it is the opposite process, as they form due to rapid cooling. Our friendly ranger informed us that it is no different from mud drying out and forming cracks, except of course that the cracks are very regular and also much deeper than mud. Apparently the cracks form perpendicular to the lava flow, which is why the columns can be angled and even bent.
The cooling process forces the columns to contract vertically as well. Rather than cleaving straight across, they separate in either a concave or convex form.
With the help of rain and the tides, this has the nice effect of creating a pleasing mosaic of circular puddles that reflect the sky.
When a confluence of factors come together, you get what look like marshmallows. Oddly enough, these were not mentioned in the legends of Finn McCool.
On a side note I read a review of my camera (Fuji XE-1) that said it didn’t do the outdoors very well because the colors were a bit muted. Apparently it takes better pictures indoors and of people, two things I rarely take pictures of. Despite that warning, I decided to go for this one instead of the Olympus OM-D E-M5. I’m glad to say that I haven’t found this to be a limitation. This last photo I present as a counterexample that illustrates the range of colors you can get out of the camera and stock lens.
At some point, I’ll post pictures from Iceland to compare the basalt formations. As that was 10 years ago, I may need to dig out some hard copies!
Cartesian Faith 
You are right, many of these captures display a rich range of colors. But I also do recognize the muted quality the review pointed out. I don’t know if the mutedness reflects the landscape you are imaging or is a result of the device you are using. But there is a quality of unrest in these images, almost as if the colors never manage to fully surface into attaining their maximum appearance and identity. Yeah, the colors are there but slightly and handsomely stunted. They embody the most beautiful expression of paralysis. Deep colors that speak against the idea of plenitude.
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Tough to say as the lighting itself was varied. The clouds were patchy and moving fast, not to mention the high cliffside adding to the shadows. In retrospect I suppose I am more impressed with the range of colors (like here) as opposed to the absolute level of saturation possible. This being the Irish (ahem, UK) coast in September, the foliage wasn’t at its peak anyway.
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