Category Archives: Structures, History and Countries

Moraine Lake

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Moraine Lake

How many lakes have a beautiful blue hue like Moraine Lake?

  • Moraine Lake is a lake that has an area of 0.5 kilometres squared (0.19 miles squared) and a depth of up to 14 metres (46 feet) and is easily accessible by road, although the road is closed from October to May.
  • Moraine Lake has a water source from Fay Glacier and Larch Creek, and is the source of Moraine Creek.
  • Moraine Lake is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, in the Valley of Ten Peaks, and has a surface elevation of approximately 1884 metres (6181 feet) above sea level.
  • Moraine Lake displays a beautiful blue hue when it is at full capacity, due to ‘rock flour’ or ‘glacial flour’, tiny particles of rock, in the lake refracting light.
  • The Moraine Lake area is the home to trails for hiking, as well as Moraine Lake Lodge, which has accommodation that can be rented for short getaways.

Moraine Lake, Blue, Aqua, June, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Banff National Park, Rock powder

Moraine in June
Image courtesy of Pascal/Flickr

  • Canoeing is a popular sport performed on the surface of Moraine Lake and can be arranged through the Lodge.
  •  Moraine Lake has been featured on the Canadian $20 note in 1969 and 1979, and it is one of Canada’s most commonly photographed places.
  • Moraine Lake is quite picturesque, with the Ten Peaks, a group of ten mountains, rising above and surrounding the lake, and has been featured as background options on computers and electronic devices.
  • Moraine Lake is the home of wildlife such as grizzly bears, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and pikas (small rabbit-like mammals).
  • Moraine Lake is so called due to a ‘moraine’, a pile of glacial rocks and boulders that was formed by the Wenkchemna Glacier next to the lake.
Bibliography:
Fletcher J, Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, n.d, USA Today, http://traveltips.usatoday.com/moraine-lake-banff-national-park-13242.html
Moraine Lake, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moraine_Lake

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Perito Moreno Glacier

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Perito Moreno Glacier

A natural ice pack: Perito Moreno Glacier.

  • Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier that is found in the National Park, Los Glaciares, Argentina, in South America, and its source is the Southern Patagonian Ice Field found in the Andes Mountain system.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most prominent attractions for tourists in southern South America, in the Argentine Patagonia region, and the area has vehicle access via a road.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier covers an area of 250 kilometres squared (97 miles squared) and spreads to a length of 30 kilometres (19 miles).
  • Perito Moreno Glacier has a total height of 170 metres (558 feet) of ice, with around 74 metres (240 feet) protruding from the water’s surface.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier has ruptures, due to pressure build up from dammed water, that occur approximately every four to five years, although they can occur more or less frequently, with the most recent event on the 19 January, 2013.
perito Moreno glacier, ice, iceberg, moving, 2008, Argentina, Panorama, south America, Flickr, Ten Random Facts
Panorama
Image courtesy of Steven Newton/Flickr
  • It is possible to venture onto Perito Moreno Glacier through an organised tour, with trails ranging from one and a half to five hours.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier sees winds that can blow up to speeds of 130 kilometres/hour (81 miles/hour).
  • Perito Moreno Glacier is a fresh water reserve, and is the third largest on earth.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier is named after Argentine’s Francisco Moreno, an explorer in the late 1800s and early 1900s, who was also known as ‘Perito Moreno’, the word ‘perito’ meaning ‘expert’ or ‘specialist’, which he officially became in 1902.
  • Perito Moreno Glacier acted as a natural barricade for Argentina during conflicts with the neighbouring Chile.
Bibliography:
Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier – Argentina, n.d, CASCADA Expidiciones, https://www.cascada.travel/About/Calafate-Perito-Moreno-Glacier-Argentina
Perito Moreno Glacier, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perito_Moreno_Glacier

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Sydney Opera House

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Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House – an iconic landmark.

  • The Sydney Opera House is an iconic building that is mainly dedicated to the performing arts.
  • The Sydney Opera House is located in one of Australia’s state capitals, Sydney, in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales.
  • The Sydney Opera House was designed by Jørn Utzon, an architect from Denmark, that was the winning design decided upon in an international design competition in 1957.
  • Every year, the Sydney Opera House holds approximately 1500 performances and sees 8.2 million visitors.
  • On 28 June, 2007, the Sydney Opera House was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at the time, was the youngest building to be added to the list.

Sydney Opera House, White, Sail, Shell, Performing Arts, Music, Centre, Habour, Ten Random Facts, Australia

Sydney Opera House
Image courtesy of Australia Photos (Flickr)
  • The Sydney Opera House has a design type of modern expressionist, with the notable feature of over a million individual white to cream ceramic tiles across the ten ‘shells’ or ‘sails’.
  • The Sydney Opera House is 65 metres (213 feet) in height and 4.4 acres (1.8 hectares) in area, and is located on land that was previously used as a tram depot and even earlier, as Fort Macquarie.
  • Construction on the Sydney Opera House began in 1959 and cost $102 million to build, which was over 14 times the proposed budget.
  • The idea of having a ‘Sydney Opera House’ was proposed by Eugene Goossens in the 1940s, who was a composer and conductor, and at the time, the director of NSW State Conservatorium of Music.
  • The Sydney Opera House was officially opened on the 20 October, 1973, by Queen Elizabeth II, but the designer, Utzon, was not credited.
Bibliography:
A Danish architect, an Australian icon: the history of the Sydney Opera House, 2013, ABC News, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-21/anthony-burke-on-sydney-opera-house-history/5034028
Sydney Opera House, History and Heritage, 2014, Sydney Opera House, http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/the_building_history_heritage.aspx
Sydney Opera House, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House

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Seljalandsfoss

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Seljalandsfoss

The breathtaking Seljalandsfoss waterfall:

  • Seljalandsfoss, also known as ‘Seljalands waterfall’, is a splendid waterfall that can be found in Southern Iceland.
  • Seljalandsfoss is very popular in Icelandic photography, being one of Iceland’s most famous falls.
  • Seljalandsfoss was part of the American reality television race, ‘The Amazing Race (6)’ in 2004, as a waypoint in the first leg.
  • ‘Seljalandsfoss’, the Icelandic name of the waterfall, literally means ‘selling the land of waterfalls’ in English.
  • Seljalandsfoss, from the top to the bottom, measures about 60 metres (197 feet) in height.

Saljalandsfoss, Water, Waterfall, iceland, Picturesque, Ten Random Facts, Flickr,

Seljalandsfoss
Image courtesy of Borkur Sigurbjornsson/Flickr
  • Seljalandsfoss is formed by the Seljalandsá River, which runs over the edge of a volcanic cliff.
  • Seljalandsfoss can be viewed from all angles, as a walking trail passes behind the falls, and tours to the falls are also available.
  • Seljalandsfoss features a small cascade at the top of the falls, with smaller waterfalls surrounding it.
  • The cliff of the Seljalandsfoss is believed to have been once part of the coastline of Iceland.
  • Seljalandsfoss partially freezes in winter, and the surroundings are covered in snow and ice.
Bibliography:
Seljalandsfoss, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, 2013, Cancuk Abroad, http://www.canuckabroad.com/places/place/seljalandsfoss-waterfall/

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Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

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Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

These facts are as grand as the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

  • The ‘Temple of Artemis at Ephesus’ is also known as the ‘Temple of Artemis’ and the ‘Temple of Artemis at Ephesos’, and it has also been referred to as the ‘Temple of Diana’.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was a temple built by the Ancient Greeks to honour and worship Artemis, the goddess of fertility, the hunt and moon.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus has a long history, and it is believed that in 700 BC a temple was erected on the site, and later, in approximately 550 BC, Chersiphron, an architect from Cretan, and his son Metagenes, designed and rebuilt a temple on the site, with the financial help of King Croesus (King Kroisos as he is also known) of Lydia.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was situated in the ancient city of Ephesus, which can be found near Selçuk, a town in modern Turkey.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed and rebuilt at least three times, notably damaged by a flood and by fire, and was finally torched by the Goths in 268 AD and was probably not fully rebuilt after that.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Ruins, Site, Turkey, Pole, Remains, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Ruins
Image courtesy of Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was larger the last time it was believed to be rebuilt in 323 BC, with the final temple measuring approximately 137 by 69 metres (450 by 226 feet) and as high as 18 metres (59 feet), with at least 127 columns.
  • The third Temple of Artemis at Ephesus is noted among the Seven Wonders of the World.
  • The remains of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus were first discovered in 1869, on a deliberate search by John Turtle Wood, who was originally an architect and engineer from Britain.
  • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was made mostly of marble, with many sculptures of high relief throughout the temple, as well as carved columns.
  • Not only was the temple used to worship Artemis, it is believed the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was also used as a marketplace.
Bibliography:
Temple of Artemis, 2011, Kusadasi.biz, http://www.kusadasi.biz/historical-places/temple-of-artemis.html
Temple of Artemis, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis

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Lake Nakuru

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Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is a blue and pink lake.

  • Lake Nakuru is an alkaline rich lake located in Kenya, Africa, in the East African Rift.
  • Lake Nakuru has been included in Lake Nakuru National Park, since 1961, which supports endangered white rhinoceroses, black rhinoceroses and giraffes.
  • Lake Nakuru covers an approximate area of up to 45 kilometres squared (17 miles squared) and has an approximate depth of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet).
  • Lake Nakuru is popularly known for its abundant attraction of thousands to millions of flamingos, although this number has been diminishing, that feed on the large quantities of blue-green algae growing on the lake.
  • Wildlife surrounding Lake Nakuru , in the national park, include black and white rhinoceroses, giraffes, waterbucks, lions, leopards, baboons, cheetahs, warthogs and pythons, as well as 300 different bird species.

Lake Nakuru, Flamingos, Flying, Alkaline, Soda, Africa, Kenya, National Park, Ten Random Facts

Flamingos on Lake Nakuru
Image courtesy of Andrea Schieber/Flickr

  • During 1951 to 1953, Lake Nakuru was dry, which led to programs of alkaline dust control.
  • Lake Nakuru contains fauna including the salt tolerant fish, Tilapia grahami, clawless otters and hippopotamuses.
  • Lake Nakuru is protected and is surrounded by a fence to deter poachers, and the word ‘nakuru’ is a local Maasai word meaning ‘dust’ or ‘dusty place’.
  • In 2007, Lake Nakuru boasted a tourism count of nearly 347,000 people, which included visits from local Kenyans, as well as visitors from around the world.
  • Lake Nakuru has been in danger of industrial and domestic pollution from nearby Nakuru town situated 4 km (2.5 miles) away, that causes poisonous water and shortage of algae, which has led to large migrations and fatalities of flamingos.
Bibliography:
Lake Nakuru, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nakuru
Lake Nakuru National Park, 2013, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1344/
Parks & Reserves: Lake Nakuru National Park, 2013, Kenyalogy, http://www.kenyalogy.com/eng/parques/nakuru.html

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