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Volcanic views

• POSTED ON: 30 Mar, 2019
• TOTAL VIEWS: 641 Views
• POSTED BY: Rohini Ramakrishnan
• ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points

The first glimpse of the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes will stun you. All around are cascading waterfalls and natural rock formations. The most important feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea. It is a dormant volcano, and rises 1,950m above sea level. The main volcano includes 360 satellite volcanoes. The island is covered in volcanic rock and volcanic soil produced by Hallasan. The crater — Baengnokdam, and the lake in it are located at the peak of Hallasan. According to studies it was formed over 25,000 years ago.

The flora at the Mt. Halla National Park is unique. There are 1,565 vascular plant species (those with specialised tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant) recorded in the area.

In spring, the island is covered with bright yellow coloured rapeseed flowers. The natural reserve is home to many animals, reptiles, insects and birds. The waters surrounding it have a resident population of Indo-Pacific bottle nose dolphins and fin less porpoises. It is also a resting area for large whales.

Jeju has an extensive system of lava tubes. It was through these tubes that the magma once flowed. Today they are just empty caves. They are some of the largest in the world. The caves provide great study material for scientific research. Off the shores of the city of Seogwipo, you can see a belt of pillar-shaped rocks. Shellfish and animal fossils discovered in this area are also valuable as scientific resources. This island is a World Heritage Site as its environment is extremely sensitive and highlights through its features the history of earth.

Amazing

The island comprises Geomunoreum, Seongsan Ilchulbong and Mount Halla and together they make up an area of around 18,846 ha.

Check out the hotspots below, to learn more about them.