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Scientists Uncover New Clues About the Volcanic Origins of the Giant's Causeway, an Iconic Geologic Structure in Northern Ireland
Key takeaways
- Jennifer Boyer via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 As the legend goes, an Irish giant called Finn Mc Cool wanted to cross the Irish Sea to face off with his Scottish rival, Benandonner, so he built a path across the water.
- In reality, the Giant’s Causeway didn’t form because of an epic clash between two hulking foes.
- Scientists long thought this event formed volcanic rocks—including those that make up the Giant’s Causeway—over a span of about 13.5 million years.
Jennifer Boyer via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 As the legend goes, an Irish giant called Finn Mc Cool wanted to cross the Irish Sea to face off with his Scottish rival, Benandonner, so he built a path across the water. However, after their confrontation, Benandonner destroyed most of the route, leaving behind only the 40,000 near-perfect hexagonal columns on the coast of Northern Ireland known as Giant’s Causeway.
In reality, the Giant’s Causeway didn’t form because of an epic clash between two hulking foes. Instead, scientists say the iconic landmark formed roughly 60 million years ago after piping hot lava flowed out of fissures in the earth. The molten rock cracked as it cooled, creating the straight-sided, interlocking columns still visible at the beloved site today.
Now, researchers have linked the formation of the Giant’s Causeway with a “globally significant volcanic event” that produced geologic formations in modern-day Iceland, Greenland, Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland, according to a statement from the British Geological Survey.