Saw the basalt columns at Giant's Causeway and the tourist info is wrong

The signs all say they formed from lava cooling fast, but the jointing pattern shows a much slower rate. Anyone have a good source on columnar jointing speeds?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_nguyen5416h ago

Devils Tower in Wyoming has the same issue with the posted formation story. I read a geology paper that argued the cooling rate there was closer to one degree per century. It makes you question all the tourist info boards.

simonlee13h ago

Actually, those tourist boards serve a real purpose. Most visitors just want a cool story, not a deep dive into thermal dynamics. The posted story gets people interested in geology in the first place. If the sign just listed cooling rates, nobody would stop to read it. Sometimes a simplified version is better for the public.