Tag Archives: Landform

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:      

Richat Structure

By | |
1 Comment
Richat Structure

Be ‘stared’ into space by the Richat Structure.

  • The Richat Structure is an eroded rock formation spread in a circular format, found in the country of Mauritania in the Western Sahara, in Africa.
  • The ‘Richat Structure’ is also known as the ‘Eye of the Sahara’, ‘Eye of Africa’, ‘blue eye of Africa’, ‘Earth’s bulls-eye’ and the ‘Guelb er Richat’.
  • The Richat Structure has a diameter of approximately 48 kilometres (30 miles), and is best viewed from the sky or space.
  • Both sedimentary rock, like quartzite and sandstone, and igneous rock make up the Richat Structure, while the latter form dykes, sills and rings within the outer rim.
  • It was originally thought that the Richat Structure was created by an asteroid impact, due to the circular shape and mistaken evidence.

Richat Structure, Blue, Aerial, NASA, Wallpaper, Satellite, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Space Image of Richat Structure
Image courtesy of Calvin Hamilton
  • The Richat Structure is generally blue in colour, although its vividness depends on the angle of the photograph or viewing point.
  • The Richat Structure is believed to have been formed by constant erosion of a volcanic dome over thousands of years.
  • The Richat Structure can be visited by tourists, and one of the most common activities is four-wheel drive tours.
  • Due to its size and features, the Richat Structure has commonly been used as a reference point from space, by astronauts.
  • The Richat Structure has the appearance of an eye, hence some of the common names for the formation; and its appearance has lead to numerous parodic works of the feature.
Bibliography:
Richat Structure, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat_Structure
Richat Structure, n.d, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/richat-structure
The Richat Structure: The Eye of the Earth, 2007, Dark Roasted Blend, http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/09/richat-structure-eye-of-earth_12.html

Amazon:     

Enchanted Well

By | |
Leave a comment
Enchanted Well

Don’t toss a coin into this Enchanted Well!

  • The Enchanted Well is a pool of water located in a limestone cave near Itaetê, in eastern Brazil, in the state of Bahia, in South America.
  • The Enchanted Well is situated outside of, but near the Chapada Diamantina National Park, as well as the Una River.
  • ‘Enchanted Well’ is also known as ‘Poço Encantado’ in Portugese, and it is not to be confused with the waterfall of the same name – Cachoeira Poço Encantado.
  • The Enchanted Well is found in a dolomite cave, and it contains one of the few populations of blind catfish, said to have the scientific name Rhamdiopsis krugi, that are endemic to the area.
  • The Enchanted Well is known primarily for its highly transparent water, enabling people to be able to see through to the cavern floor.
Enchanted Well, Water, Blue, Clear, Transparent, South America, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Part of the Enchanted Well
Image courtesy of Danielle Pereira/Flickr
  • Depths of the Enchanted Well reach approximately 60 metres (197 feet), and it is up to 110 metres (361 feet) wide and its widest point.
  • Approximately 7000 tourists visit the Enchanted Well each year, and to visit the site, an entrance fee is payable.
  • The cave of the Enchanted Well is home to more than ten species of bats, and is sometimes visited by frogs and snakes.
  • The Enchanted Well was closed to visitors for three years, from 2008 to 2010, and was reopened in early 2011, although due to its fragile ecosystem, numbers of visitors are limited in each group, and swimming in the water has been banned since 1990.
  • The Enchanted Well is best visited during April to September, due to the angle of the sun that lights up the clear blue water.
Bibliography:
Chapada Diamantina: Poço Encantado é reaberto para visitação, 2011, Governo do Estado da Bahia, http://www.setur.ba.gov.br/2011/03/11/chapada-diamantina-poco-encantado-e-reaberto-para-visitacao/
Enchanted Well, 2003, Eco, http://www.eco.tur.br/english/ecoguides/diamantina/ecopoints/caverns/encantado.htm
Karmann, I, 2000, Caverna do Poço Encantado, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia: patrimônio geológico e biológico, SIGEP, http://sigep.cprm.gov.br/sitio091/sitio091.htm

Amazon:      

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...