How did Devils Tower form?

Posted on Aug 16, 2025 / Travel

How did Devils Tower form?

Geologists agree the tower is the exposed core of ancient igneous activity, but details are still debated. Magma cooled slowly underground, forming long, polygonal columns of phonolite porphyry. Over millions of years, surrounding softer rock eroded away, leaving the harder columnar core standing. Weathering and gravity continue shaping the columns, causing occasional rockfall. The vertical grooves you see are the sides of those columns, accentuated by erosion. Its formation tells a story of deep Earth processes and relentless surface change.



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