A complex interaction between lava and water, rather than a fight between mythical troll-beasts of lore, is responsible for the occurrence of rare terrestrial basalt pillars. EARTH Magazine uncovers ...

And while the outside is spectacular, there’s more to discover deeper within Staffa, where Fingal’s Cave – a sea cave of spectacular hexagonal basalt columns – bores into the island.

In the same eruption, the lava lakes cooled slowly and evenly, forming regular columns of basalt. Sound familiar? The hexagonal columns are what we now call now the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO ...