Representative
Geosite
Representative
Geosite
Chatancheon Columnar Joint
- Cheorwon Peace Observatory
- Songdaeso
- Daegyocheon basalt canyon
- Imjin River Columnar Joint
- Dongmakgol Tuff Stone
- Gamaso Valley of Gyodong
- Chatancheon Columnar Joint
- Baegun Valley and Stratum
- Dangposeong
- Ongjanggul
- Guraigol Valley
Geo Trail where dragons playedChatancheon Columnar Joint
1045, Tonghyeon-ri, Yeoncheon-eup, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Show MapAs Columnar Joint in various forms located in Yeoncheongun Eundaeri Chatancheon, Chatancheon Columnar Joint corresponds to the region where basalt erupted during Cenozoic Quaternary flowed backwards as meeting Chatancheon while flowing along old Hantan River.
The Basalt layer is observed from the point where Chatancheon and Hantan River meet and basalt is not observed any longer if going upstream along Chatancheon and it can be seen that lava flowed here. Chatancheon Columnar Joint has an advantage that you can see the Basalt layer in a relatively close region compared to other regions.In Basalt layer, you can see columnar joint developed into several complex directions or radial shape including columnar joint developed vertically and also see the horizontal plane that cut the columnar joint nearby.Also, it is highly valuable as a geological attraction because a trail course was developed along Chatancheon and you can see all of basalt clinker, gas tube structure, Pillow Lava, Baekuiri layer.
How many times has lava flowed?
Despite their deep studies on basalt distributed in Hantan River, many researchers present various opinions. They have been written in 1 unit, 4 units, 6 units, 11 units in Munsan, Jeongok, Galmal, Cheorwon Hantan River upstream, respectively. And Cheorwon to Paju were divided into 3 units by the records reported most recently in 2013 and it was judged to show different characteristics due to the differences such as supply rate, temperature, cooling speed of lava. However, since some scholars argue that lava erupted by more than a dozen times flowed, precise studies on the eruption of lava should be conducted in the future and scholars need to provide accurate information by gathering opinions among them.Given that the basalt layer of 3 units is observed in Chatancheon, it can be estimated that all the 3 units of lava flowed as in Hantan River.
Features of the lava unit
| Division | Characteristics | Observation point |
|---|---|---|
| Unit C | weak development of columnar joint Development of separated structure |
top of Chatancheon Columnar Joint Jaein Falls top (Mainly distributed at the top of mid·upstream in Hantangang River) |
| Unit B | columnar joint development Lowest compacta(occasionally columnar joint is developed) Central columnar joint cliff Composed of top lava formation Development of horizontal joint at boundary of lowest and central columnar joint |
Central Chatancheon Columnar Joint Top Auraji Pillow Lava Central Jaein Falls |
| Unit A | weak columnar joint Pillow structure development Segregation structure observation |
Bottom columnar joint Bottom Auraji Pillow Lava Lowest part of Jaein Falls |
Lava unit division outline and each geological attraction
Locations of geological attractions are relative locations located in Hantan River
