How Does Pillow Basalt - 2 Minute Geology Work?

Pillow basalt is like a stack of squishy, round cookies that were baked underwater and then frozen in time.

Basalt is a type of rock made from molten lava, think of it as hot, gooey chocolate that’s been poured out of a volcano. When this lava cools down slowly on land, it becomes hard, flat rocks. But when it cools quickly underwater, something fun happens: it forms round, bubble-like shapes called pillows.

Imagine you're pouring warm honey into cold water, the hot honey doesn’t mix right away; it makes little rounded blobs before finally settling in. That’s what lava does underwater. It creates pillow basalt, with each pillow being a layer of cooled lava.

These pillowed rocks are like clues left behind by ancient volcanoes. Scientists can look at them and figure out where the lava came from, even if it was deep under the ocean millions of years ago!

So next time you eat a round, squishy cookie, remember: you might be eating a tiny version of a pillow basalt!