1. THE GIANTS CAUSEWAY
By Sophie Wigg.

2. What is the Giants Causeway?
The Giants Causeway lies at the foot of cliffs along the sea coast of the Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland.
It is made up of 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The columns are regular shaped polygons in a perfect horizontal section forming a pavement.....like this next slide.

4. The Giants Causeway has had UNESCO World Heritage status since 1986 and has been owned by the National Trust since
It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland and attracts 350,000 visitors every year.
It is home to 22 varieties of plant species and birds.

5. How was the Giants Causeway formed?
GEOLOGY VS
MYTH

6. GEOLOGY.
50 – 60 million years ago, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity. Molten basalt intruded chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled contraction occurred and the lava pavement fractured. Imagine drying mud with cracks forming pillar- like structures. The size of the columns was determined by the speed at which the lava cooled. Most are about 2 metres tall but the tallest are 12 metres high.

7. MYTH
The Giants Causeway earns its name from a legend about two Giants – Finn McCool (an Irish Giant) and Benandonner(a Scottish Giant). Benandonner is said to have built the Causeway from Scotland to cross the sea to fight with Finn McCool. When Benandonner crosses the causeway, Finn McCool panics but his quick thinking wife, Oonagh dresses him as a baby and hides him in a pram. When Benandonner sees him he is worried that if Finn McCool’s baby is so big and strong that Finn McCool himself must be a really strong giant and he is too frightened to pick a fight with him. Benandonner runs back to Scotland tearing the causeway up as he goes.

8. It is believed that the Scottish Giant, Benandonner lost his boot whilst hurrying across the causeway.
What do you think?

9. There are many shapes to be found on the Giants Causeway
There are many shapes to be found on the Giants Causeway. Here is the Chimney Stack!

10. The Camels Hump

11. The Organ Pipes

12. The Giants Eye

13. There is evidence of identical basalt columns at Fingals cave on the Scottish Island of Staffa

14. CONCLUSION
Although the creation of this amazing natural feature can be easily explained by the volcanic geology, the magic of this geographical wonder is in the myth which has surrounded it for centuries. Does the geology feed the myth or does the myth explain the geology? What do you think?