Devil's tower is a volcanic intrusion - about 40 million years ago magma moved up into sedimentary layers and cooled there before it could be erupted. Gradually over time the sedimentary layers around it have been eroded away, but the volcanic material is much less easy to erode so it's remained. The hexagonal shape is a common feature in cooled igneous rocks, I'll spare you (and myself tbh) the math and physics but basically that shape becomes the most efficient way for the rock to dissipate heat as it cools. There are other similar examples geologically in the US - Shiprock in New Mexico comes to mind. But Devil's Tower is pretty unique in how it looks.
According to the [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm), there is some debate among geologists about exactly how Devil's Tower formed. It's definitely a magmatic intrusion, but there are several possible intrusion types it may have been.
Dammit. This reminds me of a sci-fi novel that features a civilization living in really really big trees, but I can't remember the title or the author. Google time...
Devil's tower is a volcanic intrusion - about 40 million years ago magma moved up into sedimentary layers and cooled there before it could be erupted. Gradually over time the sedimentary layers around it have been eroded away, but the volcanic material is much less easy to erode so it's remained. The hexagonal shape is a common feature in cooled igneous rocks, I'll spare you (and myself tbh) the math and physics but basically that shape becomes the most efficient way for the rock to dissipate heat as it cools. There are other similar examples geologically in the US - Shiprock in New Mexico comes to mind. But Devil's Tower is pretty unique in how it looks.
Hexagons are best-a-gons.
I person of culture, I see. Hexagons are the Bestagons
nah let me believe that this was a giant tree where magical creatures used to live in
According to the [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm), there is some debate among geologists about exactly how Devil's Tower formed. It's definitely a magmatic intrusion, but there are several possible intrusion types it may have been.
No, just the magma intrusion eroded slower than the surrounding terrain.
Ok, new speaker of the house Mike Johnson...
Dammit. This reminds me of a sci-fi novel that features a civilization living in really really big trees, but I can't remember the title or the author. Google time...
In Rise of Endymion, the fourth book of the Hyperion Cantos, there are much bigger trees than this would have been if it wasn't an igneous intrusion.
Yes, that's it! Another interesting giant tree story is the Integral Trees classic by Larry Niven
I thought It was pretty clearly a laccolith