You don’t have to be a geologist to appreciate these marvelous rock formation known as Pillow Lavas found in the Hajar Mountains of Oman. Pillow lavas form when hot lava flows into water and cools rapidly forming a skin over the still molten rock. Underneath the skin, lava continues to flow forming a lobe, until the pressure of the magma becomes sufficient to rupture the skin and start the formation of a new lobe. This process produces a series of interconnecting pillow-shaped mounds of rock that look like toothpaste squeezed from a tube. Pillow lavas are found not only in the ocean but also under glaciers that overlie volcanoes. The presence of pillow lavas indicate that the area was once under water.

Photo credit: www.travelinggeologist.com