Distorted columns at the Devil's Postpile show how the isotherms were bent by local topography. Columns follow the direction of heat flux, not gravity.

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Columns in a starch drying experiment. See

www.physics.utoronto.ca/nonlinear/papers_mud.html

Photo by Lucas Goehring.

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The Devil's Postpile National Monument -- a well formed set of columnar joints near Yosemite in California.

Near the middle of this picture, you can see some "wavy" joints. See
www.physics.utoronto.ca/nonlinear/abstracts/GM_JGR08abstr...

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Tags:   devil's postpile california columnar joints geology cracks fracture pattern formation columns basalt column columnar

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved