Geological travels in Northern Ireland, part II:

Mammatus clouds hanging over Lough Erne, in western Northern Ireland. Our friends Jodie and Rory have a caravan on this large lake. After our tour of the cathedrals of Armagh, Jodie drove us out here to have a hike at the lake (which was great in spite of ending in darkness and rain) and to rest up in their modish accomodations there.













This is Mount Slemish, an eroded volcanic neck in Northern Ireland near Antrim. This "basalt plug" was once the center of a volcano which erupted lava all over this vicinity. Because the massive basalt in the volcano's "throat" was tougher than the surrounding stratified rock layers, it stood up strongly to erosion, and now rises to 1,457 feet (437 m) in elevation, dominating the local landscape.

Labels: clouds, northern ireland, slemish, volcano