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Basalt fan structure

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Gnimbus (talk | contribs) at 19:49, 17 December 2019 (Added thumbnail from fr.wikimedia and updated reference accessdate). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Columnar basalt Sudurarhraun

A basalt fan structure is a basalt formation composed of columnar jointed basalt columns that have slumped into a fan shape.[1]

They are most likely created when basalt lava is intruded into a soft material, such as loose volcanic ash, which is unable to support the intrusion. As the basalt cools and forms columns, the ash collapses, causing the lava spread and form a fan shape. The formations can be vertical or any degree of horizontal.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Faust, George T. "Joint Systems in the Watchung Basalt Flows, New Jersey" (PDF). Geological Survey Professional Paper 864-B. United States Government Printing Office. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
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