Category Archives: Structures, History and Countries

Shilin Stone Forest

By | |
Leave a comment
Shilin Stone Forest

Don’t get lost in the Shilin Stone Forest labyrinth.

  • Shilin Stone Forest is a group of natural rock formations located in the province of Yunnan, in China, Asia.
  • ‘Shilin Stone Forest’ is also known as ‘Shilin’ which means ‘stone forest’ in Chinese, ‘Shilin Geopark’, ‘Stone Forest’, and ‘Stone Forest Geopark’.
  • The rocks of Shilin Stone Forest are made of limestone, shaped by constant erosion and weathering.
  • There are thousands of rocks in the Shilin Stone Forest, and the rocks have the appearance of petrified trees or stalagmites.
  • The South China Karst, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, includes the Shilin Stone Forest.
Shilin Stone Forest, China, Rocks, Vegetation, Piers, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Part of Shilin Stone Forest
Image courtesy of Paul Arps/Flickr
  • Shilin Stone Forest sits on an area covering approximately 350 square kilometres (140 square miles), and it is a highly popular tourist attraction, with various accommodation options nearby.
  • Seven main parts make up Shilin Stone Forest, including the Greater and Lesser sections, and areas that contain caves and lakes, such as Zhiyun Cave and Lake Chang.
  • According to native folklore, the area of Shilin Stone Forest is the location of where a Yi woman, called Ashima, was born, who is said to have turned to stone when she failed to received permission to marry her true love.
  • Strange shaped rocks that resemble elephants, lions, and other forms can be found throughout Shilin Stone Forest.
  • The tallest formation of Shilin Stone Forest reaches 30 metres (98 feet) in height.
Bibliography:
Cool Karst at China’s Shilin Stone Forest: 270 Million Year Old Natural Wonder [35 PICS], 2013, Love These Pics, http://www.lovethesepics.com/2013/06/cool-karst-at-chinas-shilin-stone-forest-270-million-year-old-natural-wonder-35-pics/
Stone Forest, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Forest
Stone Forest Geopark, n.d, Global Network of National Geoparks, http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/list/China/6414.htm

Amazon:      

Fly Geyser

By | |
Leave a comment
Fly Geyser

Fly Geyser is a supernatural natural monument.

  • The manmade Fly Geyser is a hot-water geyser located near the town of Gerlach, in the county of Washoe, in Nevada, in the United States.
  • ‘Fly Geyser’ is also known as ‘Fly Ranch Geyser’ and ‘Green Geyser’.
  • Fly Geyser began its life in 1964 after a well was drilled, in the hope it would provide hot water for geothermal energy purposes, however, the water only reached an unsuitable temperature of 93 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Soon after the well was either sealed, or left open, in 1964, water escaped from the ground, and has continued over many years, leaving mineral deposits that have formed a mound known as ‘Fly Geyser’.
  • Fly Geyser reached a height of approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) and spread 3.7 metres (12 feet) in width in 2014, however the Geyser keeps growing in size due to the minerals that exist in the water.
Fly Geyser, Beauty, Spurt, Ten Random Facts, Colourful, Red, Green, Formation, Manmade, America
Fly Geyser
Image courtesy of Ken Lund/Flickr
  • As of 2014, Fly Geyser was located on private land at Fly Ranch, and as a result could not be visited directly without private permission from the owner, who, from 1998, was the Jaksick family, although the geyser can be viewed from the fence line.
  • The water shooting out of Fly Geyser can reach heights of around 1.5 metres (5 feet), and there are multiple spouts in the mound.
  • The yellow, green, orange and red colours of the Fly Geyser is due to the algae that grows on the form, which prefers warm to hot temperatures, as well as the various minerals that are deposited.
  • Occasionally tours are held on Fly Ranch, that have enabled visits to Fly Geyser and another nearby geyser cone that no longer spouts water, however, access to the site has been generally difficult to secure, although there has been talk of opening it to the public, for some time.
  • Water from Fly Geyser has created numerous pools of water on the ground, that have attracted wildlife such as fish and birds.
Bibliography:
Fly Geyser, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fly-ranch-geyser
Fly Geyser, 2015, Road Trippers, https://roadtrippers.com/us/washoe-county-nv/nature/fly-geyser
Fly Geyser, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Geyser
McCann J, There she blows: The incredible pictures of a man-made geyser in the middle of the Nevada Desert, 2013, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363926/There-blows-The-incredible-pictures-man-geyser-middle-Nevada-Desert.html

Amazon:     

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

By | |
Leave a comment
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

‘Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument’. What a mouthful.

  • Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks is a site located in the Sandoval County, near the city of Sante-Fe in the United State’s New Mexico.
  • ‘Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks’ is officially known as ‘Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument’, and ‘Kasha-Katuwe’ refers to the cliffs’ white colour, in the native Keresan language.
  • Tall cliffs, made primarily of igneous rock, make up the area of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, and they are a likely result of a prehistoric volcanic eruption.
  • Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks was declared a national monument in early 2001 by the then US President, Bill Clinton.
  • A variety of rock formations can be found at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, such as tall columns with cone shaped tops, known as ‘hoodoos’ or ‘tent rocks’, caused by rain and wind erosion.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, Place, National Monument, New Mexico, Central America, White, Triangle, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
Image courtesy of Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
  • The tent rocks at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks range in height from 1 to 27.5 metres (3 to 90 feet) and various wildlife may be seen in the area.
  • A stark white landscape is created with tuff and pumice rock at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, and canyons also exist at the site.
  • Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks features various length walking tracks that range from easy to more difficult, and the site is generally accessible to the public during daylight hours, while a small fee is payable at the entrance.
  • Dogs are forbidden at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, ever since the ban was placed in 2009, and other restrictions are also in place.
  • Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks covers an area of 18.8 square kilometres (7.3 square miles) and is governed by the US Bureau of Land Management.
Bibliography:
Isom S, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico, 2015, About.com, http://gosw.about.com/od/newmexicotravelguide/a/tentrocks.htm
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasha-Katuwe_Tent_Rocks_National_Monument
Kelley S, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, 2014, New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/federal/monuments/tentrocks/home.html

Amazon:      

Blue Lake Grotto

By | |
1 Comment
Blue Lake Grotto

Watch the sparkling beauty of Blue Lake Grotto.

  • Blue Lake Grotto is a cave that contains a large clear lake, located near Bonito, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in south western Brazil, in South America.
  • Blue Lake Grotto was designated as a natural monument, and therefore a protected area, by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage), or IPHAN, in 1978.
  • The official name of ‘Blue Lake Grotto’ is ‘Gruta do Lago Azul’, in the native Portuguese language.
  • The water of Blue Lake Grotto is coloured a deep, transparent blue, and while the preferred months for viewing it are from September to February, the best are said to be December and January, due to the way the sunlight shines into the cave.
  • Blue Lake Grotto is one of the largest discovered caves at least partially submerged in water in the world, and the lake has a length of 50 metres, and visitors are required to descend 100 metres to reach the base of the cave.

Blue Lake Grotto, Gruta do Lago Azul, Bonito, Brazil, Ten Random Facts, Cave, Water, Blue, Place, Stalacites

Part of Blue Lake Grotto
Image courtesy of Patty Ho/Flickr
  • The first discovery of the Blue Lake Grotto by humankind is believed to have occurred in 1924, by a native Terena Indian.
  • Blue Lake Grotto contains water levels that reach depths of up to 90 metres (295 feet), with an underground river the likely source of water.
  • In 1992, a French Brazilian team discovered numerous fossil bones of many extinct mammals, including sabre tooth tigers and giant sloths, lying at the bottom of the lake in the Blue Lake Grotto.
  • Blue Lake Grotto is the home to numerous stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations, and the lake is said to contain a number of crustaceans.
  • Blue Lake Grotto attracts many tourists and researchers alike, although the limited number of visitors each day are required to be guided by a tour guide, and touching the water or rock formations in the cave is prohibited.
Bibliography:
Gruta do Lago Azul, 2013, Wikipedia, http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruta_do_Lago_Azul
Gruta do Lago Azul, 2015, Lonely Planet, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/the-central-west/bonito/sights/natural-landmarks/gruta-lago-azul
Gruta do Lago Azul, n.d, Portal Bonito, http://www.portalbonito.com.br/guia-passeio/grutas/gruta-do-lago-azul
Gruta do Lago Azul: Blue Lake Grotto, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gruta-do-lago-azul-the-blue-lake-grotto

Amazon:     

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

By | |
Leave a comment
Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Don’t be isolated in the middle of these Phoenix Islands Protected Area facts.

  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a marine location designated as a protected site, found in the Pacific Ocean, in the vicinity of the Republic of Kiribati.
  • ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area’ is also known by the acronym ‘PIPA’, and the area contains a notable archipelago of coral.
  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is the home to eight different islands, named ‘Enderbury’, ‘Rawaki’, ‘Orona’, ‘McKean’, ‘Nikumaroro’, ‘Birnie’, ‘Manra’ and ‘Kanton’, and the latter is inhabited by a small number of people.
  • Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a Marine Protected Area (MPA), and the Pacific Ocean’s largest protected area, covering 408,250 square kilometres (157,626 square miles).
  • In the vicinity of Phoenix Islands Protected Area, more than 500 species of fish can be found, as well as up to 200 species of coral, and over 40 species of birds.
Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Silhouette, Ten Random Facts, Mangrove, Dusk, Place, Kiribati
Part of Phoenix Islands Protected Area
Image courtesy of OggiScienza/Flickr
  • Introduced species, including rats, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits and lantana, have all severely damaged the state of Phoenix Islands Protected Area’s islands, however, eradication programs have been in place on some of the islands, and these have proven to be successful and enabled some damage to be reversed.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area as a World Heritage Site in 2010.
  • By 2006, an invasion of rats completely destroyed some species of birds on the island of McKean in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, due to their introduction by a 2002 shipwrecked boat.
  • Fishing in Phoenix Islands Protected Area is guided by set rules, although many people find these rules are not strict enough.
  • Only 25 square kilometres (9.7 square miles) of land, equalling 1 part out of 16330, of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area is above seawater.
Bibliography:
Phoenix Island Protected Area, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1325
Phoenix Island Protected Area, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands_Protected_Area

Amazon:     

Ischigualasto Provincial Park

By | |
Leave a comment
Ischigualasto Provincial Park

Maybe you will see a fossil at Ischigualasto Provincial Park.

  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park is an area containing interesting geological features, located in Argentina’s north west, in South America.
  • ‘Ischigualasto Provincial Park’ is also known as ‘Parque Provincial Ischigualasto’, and ‘Valle de la Luna’, or when translated from Spanish, ‘Valley of the Moon’.
  • An area of 604 square kilometres (233 square miles) is covered by Ischigualasto Provincial Park, and the area is said to resemble a moonscape.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Ischigualasto Provincial Park as a World Heritage Site in 2000, along with the adjoining Talampaya National Park.
  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park is located in primarily a desert habitat, with hot and dry conditions and continual wind.
Ischigualasto Provincial Park, Rocks, Formation, Valley of the Moon, Ten Random Facts, Argentina, South America, Precarious
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
Image courtesy of AHLN/Flickr
  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park is the home to only a little vegetation, that includes trees, shrubs and cacti.
  • Notably, Ischigualasto Provincial Park consists of numerous fossils, ranging from vegetation, fish, mammals and dinosaurs, and it is one of the most significant fossil areas in the world.
  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park has multiple rock formations that have been formed by wind erosion; and cliffs also exist in the park.
  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park is a protected area, and it was given provincial park status in 1971.
  • Ischigualasto Provincial Park was originally the home of indigenous Americans until the Spanish intruded, and the park hosts significant ancient rock art and archaeological sites.
Bibliography:
Ischigualasto Provincial Park, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischigualasto_Provincial_Park
Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/966

Amazon:      

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...