Concentric Structure And Radial Joint System Within Basic Lava Flow At The Seashore Of Aewol, Jeju Island, South Korea

A lava dome and sheet lava flow can be observed at the seashore of Aewol, Jeju island. The cylindrical lobes are characterized by a concentric structure consisting of a massive core and radial joints. Columnar joints with different thickness between the upper and lower parts are developed in the sheet lava flow around the rock salt field in Goeomri. The upper part of the columnar joints is uneven in shape, and has a diameter of 120-150 cm. The lower part of the columnar joints is hexagonal and pentagonal in shape, and has a diameter of about 60 cm. The cylindrical lobes can be divided into two groups based on size and shape. One is a megalobe, with a semicircular outline and a maximum diameter of 30 m. The other is a circular lobe with a diameter of less than 10 m. The columns in the radial joints have hexagonal and pentagonal cross sections and gradually increasing diameter, outward from the core, to a size of 80-120 cm at the rim. The concentric structure observed in the cylindrical lavas is attributable to a combination of four factors. The first is a circular crack caused by the decrease of the temperature and density difference between the inside and outside of the cylindrical lava flow. The second is a concentric chisel mark of the radial joints, which formed at the same time as the radial joints. The third is a flow band, which is a trace left in a round passage when lava flows through. The fourth is a vesicular band formed in a cave by gas bubbles escaping from the lava flow.