This panorama was shot at the Organ Pipes National Park in Melbourne, Victoria. The Organ Pipes, a natural formation, is an ancient set of basalt columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava about 1 million years ago. Molten lava flowed around the Keilor Plains area from Mt. Holden and other volcanic hills. The lava filled a river valley running at right angles to Jacksons Creek and was perhaps 70m thick. Once a surface crust had formed the lava beneath cooled very slowly. During cooling, the lava contracted and surface cracks developed, as they do like in a drying mud puddle. As it continued to harden, the cracks lengthened until the basalt mass was divided in columns. Get it, mate ? [ Please wait for Java applets and image to load. Click with left mouse button to stop motion. Hold down left mouse button for manual panning ]. Copyright 2004 www.UpFromAustralia.com |
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