erupts from fissures in the earth at temperatures exceeding 1,100
degrees Fahrenheit.
nnBasalt
is everywhere in our region—from Yellowstone west across Idaho
to the Oregon Coast, north throughout Washington State and south
to the Nevada border—and is present here in the form of flood
basalt that flowed from volcanoes almost twenty millions years
ago.
nnBasalt
often reveals itself in tall architectural columns, sometimes tumbled
like ruins at the foot of a cliff.
nnOr
as the stump-like, monolithic remains of a volcanic core, situated
alone on a high ridge or plain.
nnAt
other times, it appears as cold riverine lavas meandering
across the desert.
nnGeologists
hypothesize that basalt, deep within its fissures, may be capable
of sustaining life, providing energy to flora, without photosynthesis.
nnAnd basalt is a home now to writers and artists from
around the world who might imagine their work as dark-colored and
fine-grained as this magazine’s namesake.
editor
Jodi Varon
associate editor
David Axelrod
art editor
Ben Mitchell
design/web
Timothy Lucas