About the pillars in the grassy plateaus...

Darwin-Evolution

To me, these are some of the most curious formations in the game. I have absolutely no idea how they could've been formed. What do you think?

Funsauce32

There are even more curious structures. there is one part of the kelp forest biome where there is an underwater stone henge. And dont forget the lava pillars in the inactive lava biome.

Darwin-Evolution

@Funsauce32 I know there are loads of other formations, but I have a feeling the lava columns will be explained in the story.

This thread is focusing on the pillars of the grassy plateaus, which I find curious.

Bale

Looks like an half eaten apple to me. Only the stone ( core ? ) remains. Which makes me thinking : what is the giant creature who bit these columns ?

I know that is quite a unlikely theory but that was all I could think of.

MrRoarke

My rudimentary understanding of geology and erosion would lead me to believe changing sea levels contributed to the shape. The parts exposed to wave action longer would be more worn down. The wide parts would represent a relatively rapid change in sea level.

Alternatively, if the sea level were once much lower, and those pillars were exposed to the air, then they could have been formed by normal eroding factors like wind and rain. There are many similar pillars on Earth in desert and mountain regions like the American southwest. If the rock is stratified, then the thinner sections of the pillars could represent softer rock strata that erode more easily.

Just my $0.02.

J

scubamatt

I'm gonna say 'Biters' ...

sayerulz

@MrRoarke is quite right. One sees formations like that on earth anywhere where there is erosion acting on different strata of rock. The wide bands are harder rock, that has eroded away more slowly, while the narrower bands are softer rock.

The ones in subnautica are rather stylized, and have some features that don't make a whole lot of sense (how does that sand stay on top?!?!) but are recognizably formed by the same process. A far stranger geological oddity is that thermal vents on the underwater islands.....

joni65

Darwin-Evolution wrote: »

To me, these are some of the most curious formations in the game. I have absolutely no idea how they could've been formed. What do you think?

I think a school of peepers started swimming in circles real fast and that swishy trail that forms behind them carved it out

Rooks_Nemesis

Could these pillars perhaps be "anchor" points for floaters? I mean those Boulders You always see them clinging on to for Dear life kinda match the same look..

Or Is That Just me?

Bugzapper

My guess is Floater erosion.
Not too many loose boulders on the seafloor, so the Floaters start chewing on these columns to obtain their raw material.

Duff_McDuggin

Maybe the same way these were made. Small eruptions that cooled quickly from flooding caused by an introduction of green house gasses from the eruptions. The center is hard stone. The surrounding terrain is soft, and eroded quickly, leaving only the hard core to stand for the rest of eternity.

Darwin-Evolution

@MrRoarke Your theory seems the most probable one, and it would also explain why there are stalagtites/mites in the jellyshroom caves under the grassy plateaus.

Darwin-Evolution

sayerulz wrote: »

A far stranger geological oddity is that thermal vents on the underwater islands.....

@sayerulz I've already solved that one here.

sayerulz

Darwin-Evolution wrote: »

sayerulz wrote: »

A far stranger geological oddity is that thermal vents on the underwater islands.....

@sayerulz I've already solved that one here.

Yes, I saw that myself. But that connecting bit is TINY. And one way or another, it is very odd.

Darwin-Evolution

@sayerulz Maybe that connection was once quite large, but the giant floaters that are constantly pushing the island away from the sea floor are making it smaller and smaller.

This would also explain how all the islands were created in the first place. Just like intense heat at the bottom of the atlantic is creating new earth to push two continents away, the intense heat at the sea floor under the islands must be constantly creating new light rock which it eventually gets rid of when it gets too infested with giant floaters. As time goes, erosion causes the islands to become smaller and smaller untill they're gone, and new ones are formed by the heat in the sea floor below. That's the life cycle of the floating islands.