Located in the County of Antrim, in Northern Ireland, is one of the Earth formation basaltic more spectacular. The denominated road of the giants contains 40,000 basalt originating columns of an occurred volcanic eruption makes 60 million years. In some cases, the columns reach the 12 meters of height and the solidified lava accumulation surpasses the 28 meters.

The dimensions of the phenomenon are of such proportion that, from time immemorial, the Irish have attributed their existence to the giants. According to the legend, these creatures would have placed immense stones to cross the channel there that separates Scotland of Ireland.

The road of the giants was open pie in 1693 and declared Patrimony of the Humanity in 1986. The majority of the basalt columns of these cliffs has hexagonal form, but there are also them of five, seven or eight sides. In spite of being a natural phenomenon, the meticulous disposition of the hexagonal makes think about that they have been placed there by a mysterious hand.

Thanks to a study of physicists of the University of Toronto it has been managed to decipher as it influences the speed of cooling of lava in the later size of each one of the pieces. Reproducing the speed of drying of the flour, water and a lamp of heat in a laboratory. If a current cools off relatively fast, a contraction takes place that pushes lava upwards and brings about the formation of columns, whose size and thickness depend on the speed of cooling.

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