Today we get to cover an Inselberg (see Part 1) that came from a hot (vs. mud) volcano!
I’ve never wanted to go see “Devils” Tower because of its name, but it turns out the man who interpreted the Native American name for it didn’t get it right and we should be calling it “Bears’ Lodge Tower.” So, next time I’m out west I’ll try to stop by between Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone.
Devils Tower in the northwest corner of Wyoming is one of the most extraordinary of the basalt rock formations. But columns like this are not uncommon features around the world. Giant Crystals has some cool pictures and an interesting description of the puzzle these types of rocks in Europe set for early modern geologists. The Biblical Geology website tells us about another formation in Victoria, AU. Then, for a real treat have a look at these pictures from around the world.
How did such giant columns get clumped together to tower over the landscape like they do? Hanksville Geology’s Page is short and to the point with nice drawing of the processes that probably formed Devils Tower.
Lava was being forced up toward the surface, found a narrow opening and squeezed up. As the lava cooled and shrank into basalt, it splintered into all those separate columns. The newly cooled basalt was much harder than the fresh Flood sedimentary rocks which got washed back toward the ocean leaving the basalt standing.
Devils Tower is just unusual in how tall it is and that it stands alone.
The page on Devils Tower I used points out that the Missouri Buttes [b-you-ts] nearby were formed at the same time. I’ve driven out west and there are places where basalt column layers run along the cliffs for mile after mile.
To see why, visit this page from ICR and look for the map (about 2/3 of the way down) of the lava flows that cover the American west. Those lines running through the map are state borders. You’re looking at about half the width of North America covered the light blue eruption!
I found an article just on Devils Tower at ICR answering some questions I hadn’t even been asking yet. They start out talking about how the lava squeezed up, but then they deal with some of the objections Old Earth geologists have. They claim if these enormous lava flows had just happened a few thousand years ago, they still wouldn’t be cool. That tells you just how much lava there was, doesn’t it?
What the slow and gradual geologists forget is that this was during and right after the Flood. What do we use to cool our nuclear reactors with? Water. It is God’s natural coolant, and it was everywhere during the Flood. Then there was the Ice Age with all its snow, ice, and rain just afterwards.
Thank you, God, that the west isn’t still too hot to walk on!
As for the earth, out of it comes bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. Job 28:5,6
Next time I’m going to take you through a government educational page on Devils Tower. 🙂
More info:
2 Comments
Don Ruhl · at
Man may give the devil’s name to many geologic features, but we can still enjoy those things, for truly they are God’s creation.
creationscience4kids · at
Indeed!
Actually, I had always thought this tower was in southern Nevada or down farther. If I’d known it was nearby, I would have asked to stop!
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