巨人堤道上的玄武岩柱，英国北爱尔兰

© Olimpio Fantuz/eStock Phot

巨石中的巨石

今天是国际岩石日，人们应当给与这些惊人的地质奇迹相应的尊重。虽说赞美岩石可能听上去很奇怪，但是想想看，岩石从人类诞生之初就伴随着人类。从工具、住房到武器，岩石一直是我们生存的关键。人类历史上有一段时期是如此依赖岩石，以至于我们将其命名为石器时代。如果没有岩石，人类也走不到今天这步。所以，一起为国际岩石日狂欢吧！

为了庆祝这个日子，我们要特别介绍一种神奇的岩石：玄武岩，它是地球上数量最丰富的火山岩。在北爱尔兰的巨人堤道，有大约4万个相互交错的六边形玄武岩石柱，它们是由一次远古火山喷发形成的。然而，在盖尔人的一个传说里，这里是作为两个巨人的战场而建造的，他们分别是爱尔兰的芬恩·麦克库尔和苏格兰的贝南登纳。另一个传说则认为，是麦克库尔修建了这个堤道，以穿越北海峡去见他的苏格兰情人。

巨人堤道是英国最伟大的自然奇观之一，也是北爱尔兰地区最受欢迎的旅游景点之一。如果你不能前往旅行，无法亲自踏上这条大自然鬼斧神工创造的玄武岩柱堤道，你也可以收集一些玄武岩来铺设出一条小路，在这条小路上与你自己的巨人“对抗”。至少这样，你将拥有一条经得住时间考验的小路。

Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

© Olimpio Fantuz/eStock Phot

Rocks rock!. International Rock Day

Today is International Rock Day and we’re giving due respect to these geological wonders. It might seem odd to sing the praises of rock, but think about it. Rocks have been with humankind since the beginning. From tools to housing to weapons, they’ve been key to our survival. A period of our history was so reliant on rocks that it will be forever known as the Stone Age. We would not be where we are today without the many minerals found on our planet, so rock on!

To celebrate, we’re going to focus on one marvellous rock in particular: basalt, the most abundant volcanic rock on Earth. Here at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, there are roughly 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns of basalt formed after an ancient eruption. According to one Gaelic legend, however, this was built as a battleground for two giants, Ireland’s Finn MacCool and Scotland’s Benandonner. Another legend suggests MacCool built the causeway to cross the North Channel to meet a Scottish lover.

Revered as one of the United Kingdom’s greatest natural wonders, the Giant’s Causeway is among the most popular tourist spots in Northern Ireland. If you can’t make the journey, thanks to the way basalt naturally forms these polygonal columns, you could find some to construct a walkway of cobblestones to battle your own giants. At the very least, you’d have a sturdy rock that lasts the test of time.