Devils Tower

Traveling in the western United States is perhaps known best for the spectacular views of mountain ranges, sweeping foothills, and timelessly iconic rock formations. Among the views, located in northeastern Wyoming, a mysteriously gigantic stone outcrop dominates the landscape from the highway, beckoning those driving by to visit. It's a national monument, an amazing natural wonder, and famously known as Devils Tower.

To many, the enormous rocky plinth resembles the remains of a giant prehistoric tree now petrified after millions of years, yet modern research indicates it's a type of volcanic formation. Some theories suggest the Devils Tower is a tree stump from the time of dinosaurs when trees, animals and insects thrived as much larger versions than those today. It's a plausible theory, considering the outcrop looks like the base of a gigantic tree and modern sequoia trees descended from ancestors known as Wellingtonia, from nearly around 200 million years ago. 

However, most scientific evidence has determined ancient Sequoia dendrons matured at heights similar to live trees now, at around 280 to 300 ft. maximum. The formation has a diameter of 0.32 miles (1690 feet) and the largest Sequoia's diameter is 0.0068 miles (36 feet), meaning it would take roughly 47 General Sherman sequoias combined to match the diameter of Devils Tower. If this is really a petrified Jurassic tree, wouldn't there be others?

One could argue, that only means the rock formation is not a petrified giant Sequoia, but it could be another species not yet discovered. For example, in Norse mythology, the Yggdrasil tree was so enormous that it connected the underworld with Earth and heaven as the world tree of life. 

Other interpretations include the World Tree as in Mayan, Aztec, and Olmec beliefs. It is also known as the World Pillar or World Mountain, deemed Axis mundi as the geocentric model of the cosmos for hundreds of cultures for the connection between higher and lower realms of existence.

As a point of curiosity and intrigue, scientists have studied Devils Tower for over a hundred years trying to determine how it was formed. The exact catalyst is unknown but there are four main theories shared by geologists. At the center of each theory, an event involving lava or magma took place around 50 million years ago interacted with igneous rock among the sedimentary layers to create a rock mass which eventually eroded into the tree stump formation seen today. As the lava cooled, it contracted to form the hexagonal columns easily seen from a distance.

National Monument: Devils Tower 

Image Credits: J.C. Vintner, Devils Tower