A view of the Palisades Cliffs from below. The Cliffs, according to geology references, consist of magma that intruded then cooled inside fissures in overlying softer rocks. The softer rocks (like sandstones and shales) eroded away, leaving the harder solidified magma standing, here a combination of feldspars and augites (For the curious, augite for example is (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al)(Si,Al)2O6.)