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Penghu Columnar Basalt Nature Preserve protects a unique volcanic formation on the eastern shore of the Penghu Islands (a.k.a.the Pescadores). Twelve to thirteen million lyears ago,shifting of the tectonic plates caused eruptions of basaltic lava. Because of the relative homogeneity of the basalt, shrinkage during cooling took place around many equally spaced centers. The result is a polygonal pattern of cracks which have created vertical, curved, radial, and bottle-necked columns of basalt rock. | |