Beach view, through a silhouette cave entrance, of blue sea and white surf, Bahia Cocotue, Pacific Coast, Chiloe Island, Chile

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The volcanic rocks of the Ancud Volcanic Complex consist of basaltic and andesitic lava flows with sub-vertical columnar joints, due to rapid cooling and cracking at temperatures below 120 C. They are of Upper Oligocene-Lower Miocene, being formed approximately 20 million years ago, during the Cenozoic Era. They outcrop on the Pacific Coast of Chiloe Island, to the west of Ancud, where the 'columnar joints' are exposed to sea-wave attack. Abrasion or the scraping action of sea waves, hurling rocks at the cliff, and the hydraulic pressure of sea waves, hitting the cliff with an explosive punch of compressed air, exploit lines of weakness, over time, forming caves.

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Size: 4252px × 2803px
Location: Basalt cliffs, Ancud Volcanic Complex, north side Cocotue Bay, Pacific Coast, Chiloe Island, Chile
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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