Insitu Geography
When you talk about karst landscape , I can briefly guess what the landscape could engulf. I can relate to underground streams, stalactites, stalagmites, sinkholes, limestone pavements and so on. But the lava tube experience in Jeju is the first ever I have witnessed.
What do you see along a lava tube?
A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes can drain lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased, and the rock has cooled and left a long cave. (wikipedia)
So, it was indeed a new experience and feeling for us to tour a lava cave.
The Manjanggul Lava Tube of Jeju is a favourite spot located in Gujwa-eup which is a result of streams of lava flowing from a crater during a volcanic eruption process.
Walking down the cave to see natural features created from the cooling and deposition of lava.
The geography teacher in me cannot help but try to relate and connect the mechanism of volcanic eruption and formation of related landscape.
When the angry mountain erupts, the fiery explosion spares nothing. You receive the good and bad. Lives and properties vanish in moments. However, when matters cool down, you see the rich ground surrounding the volcano becomes the site for great harvests. Nature has its unexplained place.
In its flow out of the tube, some lava must have cooled down and hardened into pavement-like features on the ground. It is amusing that I actually stepped on lava that had hardened. On the right are stalagmites created when lava hardened on the ceiling and look like the shape of shark teeth.
As you walk further into the cave, there appears a huge spans on the left which was a resting area for tired legs. It is formed when melting lava cooled and left a plateau-like feature. I also saw hardened lava in the shape of an elephant's claw deposited.
In the shape of shelf or table, created when melting lava was washed off in the middle of flowing of lava, lava shelves are apparent as one walks along the cave.
A lava column is formed when pillar shaped cave formations were created by the lava flows which originally flowed the ceiling and then to flow down to the floor of a lower tube.
The Manjanggul Cave experience was one of amazement and awe. The first experience is memorable as we learn and see new landscape.
Jeju blends in as part of nature and a restful place for a short sting.
We were glad we came but a revisitation is not necessary.
