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Scientists make discovery that changes what we know about The Giant’s Causeway
Researchers say the basalt columns formed during a tightly clustered volcanic episode that also links Northern Ireland to rocks in Scotland and Greenland.
- New research from the British Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland has reconstructed the timeline for volcanic activity behind the Giants Causeway, significantly updating understanding of when specific volcanic events occurred in Northern Ireland.
- Scientists discovered that the Giants Causeway formed in around 5.5 million years, a duration eight million years less than previous estimates for the intense volcanic activity in Northern Ireland.
- This revised timeline connects the development of the Giants Causeway to a globally significant volcanic event seen in rocks as far away as Greenland, Mull, Rum, Skye, and the Faroe Islands.
- Dr. Simon Tapster, geochronologist at the BGS, said "by looking at the timescales and the high resolution timeline, we" can place the Giants Causeway in a precise global context for the first time.
- The study is part of a wider initiative at the BGS to improve understanding of North Atlantic geology by piecing together a tapestry of volcanic rocks and quantifying geological time.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Evening Standard+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Scientists make new discovery about the history of the Giant’s Causeway
It was discovered that Northern Ireland’s volcanic rocks formed in just 5.5 million years.
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Left, 43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 43%
C 43%
14%
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