Columnar Joint Along Jungmun and Daepo Coasts, Jeju

The columnar joints along the Jungmun and Daepo coasts of Jeju are distributed along the coastline of Jungmun-dong and Daepo-dong in Seogwipo, extending for about 3.5 km. The surface of the lava is covered with clinker, giving it a rough texture, but in the cross-sections exposed by wave erosion — revealing the middle portion of the lava unit — beautifully developed columnar joints appear like a mural. The tallest of the columns reach around 20 m in height, displaying clean, varied pillar shapes from top to bottom. The columnar joints developed along the sea cliffs are mostly vertical, though some are horizontal, and the cross-sections at the top of the columns are four- to six-sided. Well exposed by wave action and packed closely together, they resemble a work of sculpture. Columnar Joint Along Jungmun and Daepo Coasts, Jeju, is an important geological resource for studying and observing both the geological processes that occur as basalt lava solidifies and the subsequent development of the coastal landform through wave erosion, and the site is outstanding for its academic value and its scenery.

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Where it is

Region

Seogwipo, Jeju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물