Columnar Basalts of Şanlıurfa / Türkiye

3D Model

When basaltic lava flows out during an eruption, it can accumulate in thick, slow-cooling layers. As this hot lava cools, it contracts—just like mud does when it dries. This contraction creates stresses in the solidifying rock. The rock relieves these stresses by cracking in a very organized pattern, usually forming polygons (most often hexagons because that shape distributes stress most efficiently). These cracks grow downward as the lava continues to cool, producing tall, vertical columns.

The result is a natural structure that looks almost artificial: straight, tightly packed stone pillars with geometrically regular cross-sections. Famous examples include the Giant’s Causeway (Northern Ireland) and Devil’s Tower (USA), though the latter is debated and may not be basalt.