World's first undersea basalt columns found in Penghu, Taiwan

Undersea columns of basalt have been found near an uninhabited islet in offshore Penghu County in Taiwan and are believed by the finder to be the only ones of this type in the world.

Jeng Ming-hsiou, a researcher from Academia Sinica came across the stunning scene in May when he was diving off Dayao islet north of Penghu main island to study the mass death of fish there early last year.

Jeng said the undersea columns are about 200 meters long and 10 meters high. Because of the strong undersea currents, Jeng said he could not take pictures of the columns, although he dived twice to measure the size.

The undersea columns, with the clear five-sided or six-sided structure typical of basalt formations, are covered in barnacles and coral, according to Jeng...[TaiwanNews.com]