Devil's Postpile, #23287

Devil's Postpile, a spectacular example of columnar basalt.  Once molten and under great pressure underground, the lava that makes up Devil's Postpile cooled evenly and slowly, contracting and fracturing into polygonal-sided columns.  The age of the formation is estimated between 100 and 700 thousand years old.  Sometime after the basalt columns formed, a glacier passed over the formation, cutting and polishing the tops of the columns.  The columns have from three to seven sides, varying because of differences in how quickly portions of the lava cooled. Devils Postpile National Monument, California, USA, natural history stock photograph, photo id 23287
Devil's Postpile, a spectacular example of columnar basalt. Once molten and under great pressure underground, the lava that makes up Devil's Postpile cooled evenly and slowly, contracting and fracturing into polygonal-sided columns. The age of the formation is estimated between 100 and 700 thousand years old. Sometime after the basalt columns formed, a glacier passed over the formation, cutting and polishing the tops of the columns. The columns have from three to seven sides, varying because of differences in how quickly portions of the lava cooled. Devils Postpile National Monument, California, USA

Location: Devils Postpile National Monument, California
Image ID: 23287
Format: Digital 3:2
Categories:
Copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.
This professional quality stock photo can be licensed in high resolution form by contacting the photographer: Phillip Colla, photos@oceanlight.com, (760) 707-7153, more info and photographer bio.